lovely

[luhv-lee]

adjective

lovelier, loveliest 

1. charmingly or exquisitely beautiful.

   a lovely flower.

2. having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face.

3. delightful; highly pleasing.

   to have a lovely time.

4. of a great moral or spiritual beauty.

   a lovely character.

noun

plural

lovelies 

1. Informal.,  a beautiful woman, especially a show girl.

2. any person or thing that is pleasing, highly satisfying, or the like.

   Every car in the new line is a lovely.

adverb

1. Nonstandard.,  very well; splendidly.

lovely

/ ˈlʌvlɪ /

adjective

1. very attractive or beautiful

2. highly pleasing or enjoyable

   a lovely time

3. loving and attentive

4. inspiring love; lovable

noun

1. slang,  a lovely woman

Other Word Forms

• lovelily adverb
• loveliness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lovely¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English luvelich, Old English luflīc “amiable”; love + -ly

Example Sentences

"Everybody seems to be quite excited for us, which is quite lovely," said Lisa, adding that she had received messages from strangers on social media offering her family their well wishes.

Read more on BBC

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

Read more on Barron's

"The thing that I have found really so extraordinary and unexpected is that everybody is so lovely," she said.

Read more on BBC

As you chew, the cardamom bits send out little bolts of flavor, suffusing the cake with a lovely scent of spice.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As a young woman, her wishes were simple: Terry Martin wanted to be a wife and a mother and to have a lovely home.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alluring 
• beautiful 
• captivating 
• charming 
• delicate 
• delicious 
• delightful 
• enchanting 
• engaging 
• exquisite 
• gorgeous 
• graceful 
• handsome 
• pleasant 
• pleasing 
• pretty 
• splendid 
• stunning 
• sweet 

When To Use

What are other ways to say lovely?

The adjective lovely describes people or things that are charmingly or exquisitely beautiful. How is it different from beautiful, handsome, and pretty? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.