as in showy
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Recent Examples of frilly
My clothes, a mountain range of frilly skirts, dark jeans, and long-sleeve dresses on my bedroom floor.
—
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Blooming over a long season, the fragrant, frilly blooms draw Gulf Fritillary and other butterfly species to the garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
Apparently, this was all too much for users on X and Instagram, who have been losing it, claiming that the frilly silhouette both infantilizes and sexualizes the 23-year-old star.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
The frilly flower corresponds with Sagittarius's quest for curiosity and fun.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Appearing earlier in a frilly gown, Bob spoke to Miss Yvonne as an aspirational, not ridiculous, character.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 May 2026
There’s a vintage Palm Springs vibe at the 50th-floor Swim Club, a sunny happening spot with a 30-meter infinity pool lined with sun loungers, blue frilly parasols, and vertiginous views.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On the other end of the prestige spectrum, The Young Pope—paired with promo shots of its star, Jude Law, smoking cigarettes in frilly papal vestments—became a meme long before anyone had actually watched it.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
This week, Julia Fox became an unexpected adopter of conservative kitsch at the Fashion Trust US Awards, arriving in a frilly satin salmon pink oversized nightgown from rising cult label Ashley Williams.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Blooming over a long season, the fragrant, frilly blooms draw Gulf Fritillary and other butterfly species to the garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
Apparently, this was all too much for users on X and Instagram, who have been losing it, claiming that the frilly silhouette both infantilizes and sexualizes the 23-year-old star.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
The frilly flower corresponds with Sagittarius's quest for curiosity and fun.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Appearing earlier in a frilly gown, Bob spoke to Miss Yvonne as an aspirational, not ridiculous, character.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 May 2026
There’s a vintage Palm Springs vibe at the 50th-floor Swim Club, a sunny happening spot with a 30-meter infinity pool lined with sun loungers, blue frilly parasols, and vertiginous views.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On the other end of the prestige spectrum, The Young Pope—paired with promo shots of its star, Jude Law, smoking cigarettes in frilly papal vestments—became a meme long before anyone had actually watched it.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
This week, Julia Fox became an unexpected adopter of conservative kitsch at the Fashion Trust US Awards, arriving in a frilly satin salmon pink oversized nightgown from rising cult label Ashley Williams.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frilly
Adjective
-
Stroll down Main Road and admire houses representing every era of Westport’s long colonial and maritime history, from Cape Cod cottages and colonial saltboxes to showy Greek Revival sea captains’ homes.—
Anna Laird Barto,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
-
Verbenas Easy-to-grow verbena bears showy clusters of red, pink, purple, or white tubular flowers.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
But even Mandelson wasn’t a very flamboyant choice really.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Zones 5-9 Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) has flamboyant gold/yellow, orange, or red-burgundy flowers over a long period in spring and summer.—
Erica Browne Grivas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
When ThaiPop opened, your exuberant mocktails and fresh juices caught diners’ attention as much as the ones with alcohol.—
Alicia Underlee Nelson,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
-
Purple irises bring wisdom, while blue irises encourage faith, white irises symbolize integrity, and yellow irises are an exuberant rush of enthusiasm — all while enhancing our verbal sentiments.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The extravagant villa took a decade to build and was completed in 2018, crafted by architect and designer Peter Marino.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America’s Olympic squads, the magazine’s pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture.—
Kahina Sekkaï,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
There had been ostentatious boats before — automobile millionaire Henry Dodge had commissioned the luxurious but smaller SS Delphine in the 1920s — but Onassis brought floating plutocratic potency into a whole new age.—
Michael Ballaban,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Where these collections once prioritized open-toed sandals and breezy silhouettes, more ostentatious and conceptual collections have instead followed suit.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Mario series was maturing alongside the greater video-game landscape, but its childlike essence remained—not through docile cuteness, but through a more grandiose fusion of wonder, whimsy, and wistfulness.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
9 May 2026
-
Victory Day is one of the most important national holidays in modern Russia, featuring a grandiose parade to celebrate and commemorate its defeat of Hitler’s Wehrmacht in 1945.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Fears of a Democratic shutout in June’s top-two primary and a fluky Republican being elected — which were always overwrought — have faded dramatically.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
Their earliest and biggest target has been Dax, a 32-year-old janitor-turned-rapper from Canada who spits overwrought motivational lyrics over rudimentary beats.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The bottoms don’t just feel more elegant, but are a quick way to make outfits appear upscale whether they’re styled with a T-shirt and sneakers or a button-up shirt and ballet flats.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
The palate is velvety and elegant, balancing weight with restraint.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frilly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frilly. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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