What does wolly mean?
Wolly is an uncommon English spelling of woolly. As an adjective, it means made of or covered with wool and can also describe an idea, attitude, or person as old-fashioned, conservative, or resistant to change. That figurative use is generally informal and can sound dismissive, especially when applied to people who appear unwilling to accept change. As a noun, wolly denotes a woollen garment, most commonly a jumper or sweater, and is chiefly used in informal British English. The word may consequently be used both descriptively and as shorthand: a “wolly jumper” is a knitted sweater, while “put your wolly on” means to put on a jumper. Although it shares its pronunciation and meanings with woolly, wolly is less frequent in edited prose. It remains useful for recognizing regional, conversational English and for the occasional playful or nostalgic reference to traditional woollen clothing.
Made of or covered with wool; woollen. Figuratively, old-fashioned, conservative, or resistant to change.
"The committee dismissed his proposal as a wolly attempt to preserve an outdated system."
The figurative sense is informal and often mildly derogatory when applied to people or attitudes.
A woollen garment, especially a jumper or sweater.
"She chose a bright blue wolly to wear over her uniform."
Chiefly informal British English.
Used chiefly in informal British English for jumpers, sweaters, or other woollen garments.
"The shop sells handmade woollies for cold-weather walks."
Wolly does double duty: it can describe the texture of wool and stand for a woollen jumper.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wolly
Wolly is an English formation based on wool with the adjectival suffix -y, parallel in form to woolly and wooly. Its use for woollen clothing developed through noun conversion of the adjective and became especially associated with informal British English, where it can refer to a jumper or sweater. The word's figurative sense for something old-fashioned or resistant to change developed from the image of traditional woollen clothing as conservative or outdated.
How wolly is actually used
Wolly is a less usual spelling of woolly. Its figurative use for people or ideas is informal and often mildly disparaging; the noun is especially associated with informal British English.
Easily confused with wolly
Woolly and wolly normally have the same meanings and pronunciation, but woolly is the much more common spelling.
Wolly can describe something made of wool or refer to a woollen garment, whereas wally is an unrelated British informal word for a foolish person.