jellyby · noun — A philanthropist who cares only for people in distant regions, or people away from their own household. It carries an Arena rating of 1712, earned across 107 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, jellyby ranks #149 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #243 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #491 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #859 of 17,177 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “jellyby” is a great word
JELLYBY — [Noun] A philanthropist whose zeal for distant or foreign causes results in the neglect of immediate domestic or familial responsibilities. From the character Mrs. Jellyby in Charles Dickens's novel *Bleak House* (1852), who is obsessively engaged in charitable projects for Africa while her own household falls into disarray. Unlike a 'philanthropist' (which denotes general benevolence) or a 'do-gooder' (which suggests naive impracticality), a jellyby is defined by a precise moral cartography where compassion diminishes with proximity. It is the rustle of fundraising circulars on a dinner table set with cold scraps, the earnest gaze fixed on a foreign map while a child stumbles unnoticed behind, the fervent letter posted to a colony as the soot of one's own city settles on the unwashed windowpane—a testament to the peril of loving humanity in the abstract while failing to see the person at your feet.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
After the character of Mrs Jellyby in Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House (1852), who busies herself with charity work for Africa while her own household goes to ruin.
noun
- A philanthropist who cares only for people in distant regions, or people away from their own household.e.g.“My mother, devoted to music, was a Jellyby. Strictly brought up, straight backed, never careless of her person, but still as to her children, a Jellyby.” — 1992, Bernard Shaw, Rebecca Swift, Letters from Margaret: correspondence between Bernard Shaw and Margaret Wheeler 1944-1950:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.