What does "lily" mean?
Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
Lily
/ˈlɪli/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
- Grammar: lily is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alabaster, blossom, chalk, chicken.
- Useful contrasts: impurity, nonflowering plant, taint.
- Usage evidence: The other girls are jealous of Lily because she is extremely pretty.
How to use "lily"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lily" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lily" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lily" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lily" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lily" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alabaster" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lily", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several flowers in the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae, which includes a great many ornamental species.
"The engagement photos were set in a leafy bower festooned with pink and white roses, anemones, lilies and delphinium, like something straight out of an enchanted garden."
- 2 any liliaceous plant of the genus Lilium having showy pendulous flowers wordnet
- 3 Any of several species of herbaceous flower which may or may not resemble the genus Lilium in some way, and which are not closely related to it or each other.
- 4 The flower used as a heraldic charge; also commonly used to describe the fleur-de-lis.
- 5 The end of a compass needle that should point north, traditionally often ornamented with the figure of a lily or fleur-de-lis.
"But sailing further, it veers its lily to the west."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A royal spade in auction bridge. plural-normally
- 7 The thirtieth Lenormand card, representing calmness and maturity.
Adjective
- 1 White (as a racial epithet). derogatory, not-comparable, slang
""Can't you see I'm trying to save your lily ass?" "I don't want to be saved," Tess moaned as he hauled her up and into his lap with one beefy hand."
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from English, popular around 1900 and currently returning to favor.
""Poor little thing! She is very wee and frail, isn't she? Only two months old. We came away from the north, as soon as I was able to travel. She is called Lily." I remembered Horace having once told me that his mother's name had been Lilias."
Example
"The other girls are jealous of Lily because she is extremely pretty."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lily"?
Common synonyms include: alabaster, blossom, chalk, chicken, emblem, fleece.
How do you use "lily" in a sentence?
The other girls are jealous of Lily because she is extremely pretty.
How do you pronounce "lily"?
Pronounced /ˈlɪli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lilie, from Old English lilie, from Latin līlia, plural of līlium, from Ancient Greek λείριον (leírion). See there for more.
Etymology 2
A 19th-century flower name, from lily. Also a diminutive of Lilian and sometimes Elizabeth.