What does "sally" mean?
A willow.
Sally
/ˈsæli/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A willow.
- Grammar: sally is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: sortie, access, aggravated assault, aggression.
- Useful contrasts: calm, defense, inertia.
- Usage evidence: Beth accused her sister, Sally, of tearing her scarf.
How to use "sally"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sally" 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 "sally" 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 "sally" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sally" 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 "sally" is acting as name, noun, verb, 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 "sortie" 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 "sally", 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 A willow.
- 2 A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
"The rest of his horsemen the Duke sent to his campe, bicause they heard a great noise there, and doubted the enimies sally, and indeede they had issued foorth thrise, but were alwaies repulsed, especially through the valiantns of the English men that the Duke left there behind him [...]"
- 3 A member of the Salvation Army. New-Zealand, slang
- 4 A kind of stonefly.
- 5 The crystalline or powdered form of MDA. Canada, US, slang
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 Alternative letter-case form of sally: the crystalline or powdered form of MDA. Canada, US, alt-of, slang
- 7 a venture off the beaten path wordnet
- 8 Any tree that resembles a willow.
- 9 A sudden rushing forth.
"Flocks of these birds stir up flying insects, which can then be picked off in quick sallies."
- 10 A wren.
- 11 a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position wordnet
- 12 An object made from the wood of a willow.
- 13 A witty statement or quip, usually at the expense of one's interlocutor. figuratively
"Till then she had never formed an idea of one so gifted and so charming. She listened with astonishment to her companion's gay sallies, and answers, as piquant as they were ready."
- 14 witty remark wordnet
- 15 An excursion or side trip.
"Everyone shall know a country better that makes often sallies into it, and traverses it up and down, than he that […] goes still round in the same track."
- 16 A tufted woollen part of a bellrope, used to provide grip when ringing a bell.
Verb
- 1 To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position). intransitive
"The troops sallied in desperation."
- 2 To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth"). intransitive
"So I tucked my violin under my arm, and sallied out after the old budgy ragman, determined to ease him of his load at the very first lonesome corner I could track him to."
- 3 To venture off the beaten path. intransitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the female given name Sarah, also used as a formal given name.
"She submitted―for what alternative did she have?―to being Sally in this family, but she always signed herself, Sarah."
- 2 A nickname for the Salvation Army. British, slang
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Beth accused her sister, Sally, of tearing her scarf."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sally"?
Common synonyms include: sortie, access, aggravated assault, aggression, amphibious attack, aphorism.
How do you use "sally" in a sentence?
Beth accused her sister, Sally, of tearing her scarf.
How do you pronounce "sally"?
Pronounced /ˈsæli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English saly, from Old English saliġ, sealh (“willow”). More at sallow.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French saillie, from sailli, the past participle of the verb saillir (“to leap forth”), itself from Latin salīre (“to leap”).
Etymology 3
From salvation + -y.
Etymology 4
Unknown.
Etymology 5
A diminutive lambdacism of Sarah. Compare Hal from Harry and Moll from Mary.