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noun A2 Elementary Common

jelly

JEH-lee
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Jelly (noun) means a soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert. Example: “She spread strawberry jelly on her toast.”

noun
1
A soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert.
"She spread strawberry jelly on her toast."
"The kids wolfed down bowls of red jelly at the party."
"We had raspberry jelly and ice cream for dessert after the picnic."
verb
1
To set or thicken into a jelly-like consistency.
"Leave the sauce to cool and jelly in the fridge overnight."
"The juice will jelly once the pectin has been boiled in and left to cool."
"Wait for the mixture to jelly before you turn the mould out onto a plate."

How to use jelly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA wobbly, set food made from fruit or gelatin — in the UK it also means the wobbly dessert Americans call "Jell-O."

UK vs US

In British English, "jelly" is the wobbly dessert (US "Jell-O"), while what Americans call "jelly" (the fruit spread) is closer to what Brits call "jam," though there are subtle differences between jam and jelly even in the US.

Easily confused with
jam →
Common pairings
strawberry jelly jelly and ice cream set into a jelly
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Word forms

Third person singular
jellies
Past tense
jellied
Comparative
more jelly
Superlative
most jelly
Test yourself on “jelly” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She spread strawberry _____ on her toast.

Etymology

From Old French gelee, "frost" or "something frozen/set," ultimately from Latin gelu, "frost" — the same root behind gelatin and gel.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

View more →
preserve gelatin jellify

Related words

keep save protect maintain defend preserve retain jam

Rhymes for jelly

belly nelly telly Kelly smelly Shelly cruelly Connelly Donnelly underbelly squirrelly
See all rhymes for jelly →

Frequently asked questions

What does “jelly” mean?
The word “jelly” means a soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert. In plain terms, a wobbly, set food made from fruit or gelatin — in the UK it also means the wobbly dessert Americans call "Jell-O.".
How do you pronounce “jelly”?
“Jelly” is pronounced JEH-lee (/ˈd͡ʒɛli/ in IPA).
How do you use “jelly” in a sentence?
Here is “jelly” used in a sentence: “She spread strawberry jelly on her toast.”
What part of speech is “jelly”?
Depending on how it is used, “jelly” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “jelly” come from?
The word “jelly” comes from Latin. From Old French gelee, "frost" or "something frozen/set," ultimately from Latin gelu, "frost" — the same root behind gelatin and gel.
Is “jelly” a common word?
“Jelly” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “jelly” have?
“Jelly” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a soft, semi-solid food made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, often spread on bread or eaten as a dessert.
What is the difference between jelly and jam?
Jelly is made by setting fruit juice or another liquid with gelatin or pectin, producing a smooth, translucent spread without fruit pieces. Jam, by contrast, is typically made from crushed or whole fruit, giving it a chunkier texture.
What does it mean when something jellies?
As a verb, to jelly means to set or thicken into a jelly-like consistency, describing the process by which a liquid transforms into a soft, semi-solid form.
Is jelly the same word in British and American English?
In American English, jelly usually refers to the fruit spread eaten on bread, while in British English "jelly" more commonly refers to a wobbly gelatin dessert, closer to what Americans call Jell-O.

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