Shelly

Short for Michelle

Shelly is a given name, typically feminine, often a diminutive of Michelle or Shelley.

The spelling with a y is more common than Shelley for the personal name, though both appear.

Shelly called to say she'd be late. (Lowercase shelly means having or resembling shells.)

literary

Frankenstein

Gothic novel's mad scientist

RomanticismEmotion-centered artistic movement
poetWriter of verse
novelistWriter of prose narratives

Ozymandias · author · English literature · Mont Blanc · biography · Godwin · Byron · Keats · elopement · Geneva

shell-like

iridescent

Showing shifting spectral colors

pearlescentShowing soft iridescence
nacreousResembling pearl's iridescence
lustrousSoftly bright, reflective

conch · abalone · cowrie · mother-of-pearl · spiral · beach · oceanic · coastal · shimmering · calcium

name

nickname

Informal substitute name

diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
MichelleFrench-origin feminine name
RochelleFrench-origin female name

Sheldon · Rachel · pet name · feminine name · given name · endearment · namesake · moniker · christening · baptism

Categories

South ParkSouth Park, Stan, Cartman, Kenny, Butters
Red River RegionRed River, Fargo, Grand Forks, Winnipeg, Breckenridge
Black NamesDarnell, Deshawn, Ebony, Imani, Jabari

Opposites

name formality

French-origin feminine name

Rochelle · Sheldon · Elizabeth · Alexandra · Bartholomew

gender association

ShellyBruce

Masculine given name

Frank · Ralph · Walter · Carl · Harold

Phrases

shell outPay, often unwillingly
shell corporationsLegally registered but inactive businesses
taco shellFried tortilla container
camper shellRigid truck bed enclosure
shelling outSpending money, often reluctantly
shell gameStreet swindle with cups

Family

shell, shells, eggshell, shellfish, seashell, shelled, shelling, seashells, unshelled

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G