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Glite Dictionary
👗 With frills 😳 Messy looking
ruffly

ruffly

1 5.3
Having many small gathered folds of fabric, often on clothes or curtains
  • adjective
  • /ˈrʌfli/
: con volantes
  • She wore a beautiful dress that was decorated with ruffly layers of fabric.
  • wearing a ruffly

I put on this cute little like ruffly top and you guys.

Examples

  • The curtains covering the two windows were p22 white and ruffly, as was the coverlet on the large bed.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • But I think Belle's going to need some tights, some ruffly socks, of course.

  • I put on this cute little like ruffly top and you guys.

    Carli Bybel

  • I still had long dark hair, which I curled, and was still wearing ruffly things with little flowers all over them, and I felt stupid.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I want it to be all sparkly and ruffly.

    Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)

  • I was afraid Mom and Ruthie would railroad me into a traditional ceremony and a ruffly gown.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The women were all tall and wore ruffly dresses, but a lot of those ruffles had ridges.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • We didn't wear dresses, always and only overalls, but we often wore pink and/or ruffly stuff with the overalls.

    Blog text (25)

  • If you try this oven method, please set a timer so you don't forget and then burn the house down all for some shabby chic, tea-stained, ruffly sweetness.

    Blog text (19)

  • The table setting featured ruffly napkins that added a charming touch to the dinner.

Synonyms

frilly
vsruffly
15 4.1

Clothes with many small ruffles or lace that look decorative

is similar but focuses on many gathered or folded details
pleated
vsruffly
13 3.3

Cloth that has many narrow folds, like a skirt or curtain

focuses on many gathered or folded details rather than narrow folds
ruffled
vsruffly
4 3.4

Fabric or clothing with small soft folds along the edges

is a broader style marked by many gathered or folded details
froufrou
vsruffly
  • Archaic
3 8.8

Having too many decorations like lace or ribbons

means decorative gathered details without the strong judgment of excess
frou-frou
vsruffly
  • Archaic
2 9.6

Having a very showy, overly decorated style

describes the decorative gathered detail without implying excess
ruffed
vsruffly
1 7.9

Having a ring of feathers or loose skin around the neck, as in some birds and lizards

is the general multi-gathered fabric style not limited to neck features
frilled
vsruffly
1 3.7

Having small, soft, folded edges on clothes or curtains

is a general style with many gathered or folded fabric details
ruched
vsruffly
  • Specialized
1 8.5

Fabric gathered into small folds to make a ruffled look

is the broader decorative style rather than the specific gathering technique
flouncy
vsruffly
1 7.8

Clothing that has ruffles or loose folds that move and look showy

is mainly about gathered decorative detail rather than lively movement

Antonyms

simple
201 1.0

Plain and without decoration

plain
33 2.5

Not attractive to look at

How Frilly

ornate
  • Literature
25 7.0
frilly
15 4.1
ruffly
1 5.3
trimmed
8 1.0
plain
33 2.5

Surface Forms

ruffly positive

Morphology

ruffly = ruffle (transparent) = ruffle + ly

The word 'ruffly' is transparently derived from 'ruffle' with the addition of the suffix '-ly', indicating a manner or style.

Etymology

Ruffly comes from ruff, a round pleated collar, and from ruffle, which meant 'to make small folds or frills'. So ruffly describes something 'decorated with many small folds or frills', like a dress or pillow.