riley

[ rahy-lee ]

adjectiveChiefly Northern and North Midland U.S.
  1. turbid; roily.

  2. angry; vexed.

Origin of riley

1
An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; rile + -y1

Other definitions for Riley (2 of 2)

Riley
[ rahy-lee ]

noun
  1. James Whit·comb [hwit-kuhm, wit-], /ˈʰwɪt kəm, ˈwɪt-/, 1849–1916, U.S. poet.

  2. life of. life of Riley.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use riley in a sentence

  • So Snowball stayed and helped Life-of-the-Bush build her blossoms.

  • But some one should keep Life-of-the-Bush from fainting and he would try.

  • “Right out through the end of one of my branches,” said Life-of-the-Bush.

  • That was the first that he knew that Life-of-the-Bush had changed him from a snowball into a flower snowball.

  • Life-of-the-Bush thanked the snowball a thousand times and gave him the freedom of her beautiful house.

British Dictionary definitions for Riley (1 of 2)

Riley1

/ (ˈraɪlɪ) /


noun
  1. Bridget (Louise). born 1931, English painter, best known for her black-and-white op art paintings of the 1960s

  2. Gina . born 1961, Australian television actress and writer, best known for playing 'Kim' in the comedy series Kath & Kim (2002–07)

British Dictionary definitions for Riley (2 of 2)

Riley2

/ (ˈraɪlɪ) /


noun
  1. the life of Riley a luxurious and carefree existence

Origin of Riley

2
C20: origin unknown

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with riley

riley

see life of riley.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.