lovely
Noun plurallovelies
Plurallovelies
- 1Very beautiful or pleasing to look at or listen to.
What a lovely dress you're wearing!
The garden looks lovely when all the flowers are out.
UsageSay lovelier and loveliest. Use it before a noun or after look or sound: looks lovely.
Similarbeautiful, gorgeous, pretty, charming, exquisite
Oppositeugly, unattractive, hideous
- 2
- 3A warm, friendly name you call someone you care about.
Thank you, my lovely, that's very kind of you.
Hello, my lovely, how was school today?
UsageYou say it to someone, like dear: thank you, my lovely.
Similardarling, love, dear, sweetheart, honey
Less common meanings
- 4In a beautiful or very nice way.
You've done your hair lovely today.
The baby's sleeping lovely now.
UsageIt comes after a verb in casual speech: it's running lovely. In formal writing, use beautifully or nicely.
Similarbeautifully, nicely
- 5A very good-looking person, often someone whose job is to look beautiful.
The poster showed three lovelies in swimsuits holding up a trophy.
She was the lovely who handed out the prizes on the game show.
UsageUsually lovelies. It focuses on people's looks and can sound disrespectful, so be careful with it.
Similarbeauty
Note
- 6A beautiful or very nice thing, like a pretty dress.
Look at all these lovelies I found at the flea market!
That little lovely on the shelf is a glass bird my grandma gave me.
Similargem
- 7Easy to love or to be friends with.
a most lovely gentlemanlike man
c. 1595, William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”Here, lovely means easy to love or be friends with.Note
- 8So good that it should be praised.
He is altogether lovely. O, all our praises of him are poor and low things!
1807, Erasmus Middleton, Evangelical biographyHere, lovely means deserving praise.О praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious : О sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
1823, Church of England, Llyfr gweddi gyffredinHere, lovely means worthy of being praised.Note
- 9Full of love for someone.
seal the title with a lovely kiss
c. 1590, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”Here, lovely means full of love.Note
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
It comes from the Old English word luflīċ, meaning "loving" or "lovable", made from love + -ly.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Lovely comes from Old English luflīċ. en.wiktionary.org
- Luflīċ meant loving or lovable. en.wiktionary.org
- Its formation corresponds to love + -ly. en.wiktionary.org
It comes from the Old English word luflīċe, meaning "lovingly" or "kindly", made from love + -ly.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Lovely (the adverb) comes from Old English luflīċe. en.wiktionary.org
- Luflīċe meant "lovingly" or "kindly". en.wiktionary.org
- Its formation is equivalent to love + -ly. en.wiktionary.org
It comes from the Middle English word lofly, meaning "worthy of praise", made from lofe + -ly.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Lovely in this sense comes from Middle English lofly. en.wiktionary.org
- Middle English lofly meant "worthy of praise". en.wiktionary.org
- This formation is equivalent to lofe + -ly. en.wiktionary.org