frilled; frilling; frills
: to provide or decorate with a frill
1
a
: a gathered, pleated, or bias-cut fabric edging used on clothing
b
: a strip of paper curled at one end and rolled to be slipped over the bone end (as of a chop) in serving
2
: a ruff of hair or feathers or a bony or cartilaginous projection about the neck of an animal
3
a
: affectation, air
—usually used in plural
… intellectual frills and fustian.—
Joseph Epstein
Joseph Epstein
b
: something decorative or useful and desirable but not essential : luxury
a new car with all the frills
For small businesses, a private plane is more than just a fat-cat frill.—Kevin Peraino
Kevin PerainoExamples of frill in a Sentence
Noun
The dress had frills around the hem and sleeves.
He likes plain food without any frills.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick Brennan,
Cincinnati.com,
27 Mar. 2018
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation might've taken the Editors' Choice title for their extra frills, but these entry-level buds sure hold their own in the open-ear category.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for frill
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Verb
Xavier's head coaching job has never been more attractive and brings with it frills like updates facilities, a great on-campus gym, one of college basketball's power conferences and an enviable TV deal.
—
Patrick Brennan,
Cincinnati.com,
27 Mar. 2018
Noun
Tailor The Experience To Your Audience One strategy is understanding the audience and their preferred user interface—developers do not appreciate wasting tokens or time on frills rather than the substance of their ask.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation might've taken the Editors' Choice title for their extra frills, but these entry-level buds sure hold their own in the open-ear category.
—
Kelsey Fogarty,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for frill
Cite this Entry
“Frill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frill. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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