lovely
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English lovely, luvelich, lufli, from Old English luflīċ, luflīc (“amiable, loving, lovable”), equivalent to love + -ly.
Adjective
lovely (comparative lovelier, superlative loveliest)
- Beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner.
- It's a lovely day and the sun is shining.
- The music box plays a lovely melody.
- The castle garden enchants visitors with its lovely blooms.
- 1915, Herman Cyril McNeile, The Lieutenant and Others:
- His pink coat was lovely
- 1923 October, Robert Frost, “[Grace Notes.] Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”, in New Hampshire […], New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →OCLC, page 87:
- The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
- 1977, Skip Scarborough, Bill Withers (lyrics and music), “Lovely Day”, performed by Bill Withers:
- Then I look at you / And the world's alright with me / Just one look at you / And I know it's gonna be / A lovely day
- Very nice, wonderful.
- It would be lovely to have a little more money to spend.
- 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 135:
- It is a lovely night, and why should we not prolong our ride a little?"
- (obsolete) Inspiring love or friendship; amiable.
- c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
- a most lovely gentlemanlike man
- (obsolete) Loving, filled with love.
- c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- seal the title with a lovely kiss
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Noun
lovely (plural lovelies)
- (informal) An attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.
- Term of fond address.
- Goodbye, my lovely.
- 1969, Peter Sarstedt (lyrics and music), “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?”:
- But where do you go to my lovely / When you're alone in your bed?
- A lovely object.
- 2011, Theodora Floros, What'S for Lunch?: A Cooking Guide for Parents, →ISBN, page 13:
- In Montréal, the summer months bring in a huge variety of fruits and vegetables and this is the time to preserve them. Preserving can also refer to the storage of these fiber and vitamin rich lovelies.
- 2015, Marlys Millhiser, The Mirror, →ISBN:
- May Bell ironed the last ruffle and then hung the dress in the wardrobe next to her other lovelies.
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English lovely, luveliche, from Old English luflīċe (“lovingly, amiably, kindly, dearly, with good will or love, willingly”), equivalent to love + -ly.
Adverb
lovely (comparative more lovely, superlative most lovely)
- (informal) In a lovely fashion or manner; beautifully.
- 2014, Neil Bartlett, chapter 18, in The Disappearance Boy[1], A&C Black:
- She's not everyone's cup of tea, what with the way she speaks her mind and doesn't always do her hair in the morning, but she scrubs up lovely.
Etymology 3
From Middle English lofly, lovely (“praiseworthy; laudatory”), equivalent to lofe + -ly. Cognate with Dutch loffelijk (“laudable, praiseworthy”), German löblich (“commendable, laudable, praiseworthy”), Swedish lovlig (“permissible”). More at lofe, love.
Adjective
lovely (comparative lovelier or more lovely, superlative loveliest or most lovely)
- (archaic) Worthy of praise.
- 1773, Thomas Boston (the Elder.), Alexander Colden, The Whole Works of the late reverend and learned Mr. Thomas Boston, Minister of the Gospel at Etterick:
- And so he is in the eyes of all who live to his praise. To them every attribute of God is lovely. The holiness and purity of his nature is most lovely to them.
- 1807, Erasmus Middleton, Evangelical biography:
- He is altogether lovely. O, all our praises of him are poor and low things!
- 1823, Church of England, Llyfr gweddi gyffredin:
- О praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious : О sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
- 1834, David Dickson, A Brief Explication of the Psalms - Volume 1, page 39:
- It is the duty of all believers to join themselves cheerfully in the setting forth the Lord's care over them, and whatsoever may make his lovely Majesty known to the world: for so he requireth the present precept and example, -- sing praises to the Lord.
- 1876, John Vaughan, Trinity hymns for the worship of the three-one Jehovah in faith & love:
- My precious Saviour's matchless name ; He's wise and holy, just and true, And altogether lovely too.
Anagrams
Middle English
Etymology 1
Inherited from Old English luflīċ; equivalent to loven (“to love”) + -ly (adjectival suffix).
Alternative forms
- lofly, loveli, lovelich, loveliche, lovelie, lovelyche, lovly, lufely, luffly, lufli, lufly, luflych
- luflich, luvelich (Early Middle English)
Pronunciation
Adjective
lovely
- Friendly, affectionate, loving (providing love)
- Lustful, passionate; romantically or sexually charged.
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Myllers Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:
- Many a lovely loke on them he cast.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- Lovely, attractive, pleasing.
- Synonym: lovesom
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- “lǒvelī, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Old English luflīċe; equivalent to loven (“to love”) + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Alternative forms
- loffely, loveli, loveliche, lovelych, lovelyche, lovelye, lufly, luflych, luveli
- luveliche, luve-like (Early Middle English)
Pronunciation
Adverb
lovely
- Nicely, affectionately, lovingly (in a loving way)
- Synonym: lovelyly
- Eagerly, fondly, enthusiastically; with great passion.
- Lustfully, passionately; in a romantically or sexually charged way.
- Wonderfully, marvelously, amazingly.
- (rare) Courteously; in a well-mannered way.
Descendants
- English: lovely
References
- “lǒvelī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 3
Adjective
lovely
- Alternative form of lofly
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms suffixed with -ly (adjectival)
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English informal terms
- English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)
- English adverbs
- English terms suffixed with -ly
- English terms with archaic senses
- English endearing terms
- English terms of address
- en:Love
- en:Personality
- Middle English terms inherited from Old English
- Middle English terms derived from Old English
- Middle English terms suffixed with -ly (adjectival)
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English terms with quotations
- Middle English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)
- Middle English adverbs
- Middle English terms with rare senses
- enm:Appearance
- enm:Emotions
- enm:Human behaviour
- enm:Love
- enm:Sex