comely

[kuhm-lee]

See more synonyms for comely on Thesaurus.com

adjective, come·li·er, come·li·est.

pleasing in appearance; attractive; fair: a comely face.
proper; seemly; becoming: comely behavior.

Origin of comely

before 1000; Middle English cumli, Old English cȳmlīc lovely, equivalent to cȳme exquisite (cognate with Middle High German kūme weak, tender, German kaum (adv.) with difficulty, Old High German kūmo) + -līc -ly

Related formscome·li·ly, adverbcome·li·ness, nounun·come·ly, adjective

Synonyms for comely

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1. pretty, handsome, beautiful, good-looking, personable.

Antonyms for comely

1. unattractive.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for comely

good-looking, winsome, attractive, becoming, blooming, buxom, fair, fine, gorgeous, graceful, handsome, nice, pleasing, pretty, stunning, wholesome, beauteous, pulchritudinous

Examples from the Web for comely

Contemporary Examples of comely

Our biggest network comedy stars have almost all had a trim figure and a comely face.
How Stand-Up Got Sexy
Yael Kohen
September 24, 2011
Shortly after midnight, she and her comely 21-year-old daughter, Beatrice, disappeared.
Fergie's Latest Flameout
Tina Brown
May 25, 2010

Historical Examples of comely

Her comely face was slightly flushed, doubtless with the exercise of walking.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Of all the sons of the plain, the bravest, and the most comely, was Edwin.
Imogen
William Godwin
His face was comely as a damsel's, his eyes blue and his hair golden.
Love-at-Arms
Raphael Sabatini
Assuredly he will die of it—and he so young, Peppino, and so comely to behold!
Love-at-Arms
Raphael Sabatini
No one could get on terms with those fresh and comely young monsters!
Chance
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for comely

comely

adjective -lier or -liest

good-looking; attractive

Derived Formscomeliness, noun

Word Origin for comely

Old English cӯmlīc beautiful; related to Old High German cūmi frail, Middle High German komlīche suitably

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for comely

adj.

"beautiful, handsome," c.1400, probably from Old English cymlic "lovely, splendid, finely made," from cyme "exquisite, glorious, delicate," from West Germanic *kumi- "delicate, feeble" (cf. Old High German chumo "with difficulty," chumig "weak, delicate;" German kaum "hardly, scarcely"). Or perhaps the modern word is from Middle English bicumelic (c.1200) "suitable, exquisite," literally "becomely" (cf. becoming).