adjective
Uncommon
Rory
RAW-ree
Rory (adjective) means Damp with dew. Example: “The grass was rory underfoot in the early morning.”
adjective
1
Damp with dew.
"The grass was rory underfoot in the early morning."
2
Loud, gaudy, or overdone in colour; showy in a tasteless way.
"She refused to wear the rory tie he'd picked out for the wedding."
How to use Rory
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly known today as a first name; the older adjective meanings (dewy, or loudly colourful) are rare and mostly dialectal.
When to use it
The adjective uses are archaic or regional and rarely appear in modern writing.
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Word forms
- Plural
- Rorys, Rories
- Comparative
- more rory
- Superlative
- most rory
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The grass was _____ underfoot in the early morning.
Etymology
As a given name, an anglicised form of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic Ruairí/Ruairidh, meaning roughly "red-haired king." The adjective senses (dewy; gaudy) come from an unrelated dialect word.
Related words
Rhymes for Rory
See all rhymes for Rory →Frequently asked questions
What does “Rory” mean?
The word “Rory” means damp with dew. In plain terms, mostly known today as a first name; the older adjective meanings (dewy, or loudly colourful) are rare and mostly dialectal.
How do you pronounce “Rory”?
“Rory” is pronounced RAW-ree (/ˈɹɔːɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “Rory” in a sentence?
Here is “Rory” used in a sentence: “The grass was rory underfoot in the early morning.”
What part of speech is “Rory”?
“Rory” is an adjective.
Where does the word “Rory” come from?
The word “Rory” comes from Scottish Gaelic. As a given name, an anglicised form of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic Ruairí/Ruairidh, meaning roughly "red-haired king." The adjective senses (dewy; gaudy) come from an unrelated dialect word.
Is “Rory” a common word?
“Rory” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Rory” have?
“Rory” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: damp with dew.
What is the difference between the two meanings of rory?
One sense of rory describes something damp with dew, a literal descriptive use, while the other describes something loud, gaudy, or showy in a tasteless way, especially referring to color. The two meanings are unrelated in application despite sharing the same word.
Can rory describe a color?
Yes, in its "showy" sense, rory describes something loud, gaudy, or overdone in colour, essentially meaning tasteless or garish in appearance.
Is rory used to describe weather or appearance?
In its "damp with dew" sense, rory is used to describe weather conditions or surfaces affected by dew, while its "showy" sense is used to describe appearance, particularly color.
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