a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly.
a suffix meaning “every,” attached to certain nouns denoting units of time: hourly; daily.
an adjective suffix meaning “-like”: saintly; cowardly.
having the nature or qualities of
brotherly
godly
occurring at certain intervals; every
daily
yearly
Middle English adverb -li, -lich(e), Old English -līce ( -līc adjective suffix + -e adverb suffix); Middle English adjective -li, -ly, -lich(e), Old English -līc (cognate with German -lich ), suffixal use of gelīc “similar to, like”; see origin at like 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And below is a list of most common -ly adverbs by author.
From Slate ● Nov. 21, 2013
But ringletted friskers, and mutton-chop whiskers, For "buns" and blue gills closely shaven, -ly shaven!
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 105 October 7, 1893 by Various
Compounds and Divisions: Omit the hyphen when using an adverb compounded with -ly before a participle: a newly built house.
From Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence A Manual for Reporters, Correspondents, and Students of Newspaper Writing by Hyde, Grant Milnor
The fact that a word ends in -ly does not make it an adverb.
From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt
There is no logical reason, for instance, why the numeral function of -s should be formally expressed in a manner that is analogous to the expression of the idea conveyed by -ly.
From Language An Introduction to the Study of Speech by Sapir, Edward
But will people be driven away from such land by the infrequent floods, or will they accept the occasional inundation, moving away only temporari ly as needed?
From Nature ● Jun. 10, 2018
This can be done for stars up to about 500 ly away.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
In 1958, When Ray Charles played the Harlem Duke Social Club in the predominantly ly black part of town, only the most adventurous whites might turn up.
From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2013
Andromeda Galaxy Closest galaxy, 2.5 million ly Click again to skip race.
From Slate ● May 16, 2013
Adverbs can come with or without ly, and many, like slow and slowly, exist in both forms.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
