ferly

or fer·lie

[ fer-lee ]

noun,plural fer·lies.

something unusual, strange, or causing wonder or terror.
astonishment; wonder.

adjective

unexpected; strange; unusual.

Origin of ferly

First recorded before 900; Middle English fæ(i)rlich, feorlic(h), from Old English fǣrlīc, equivalent to fǣr “sudden danger” + -līc, adjective suffix; cognate with German gefährlich, Dutch gevaarlijk “dangerous”; see origin at fear, -ly

Words Nearby ferly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ferly in a sentence

It is nae mair ferly to see a woman greit than to see a goose go barefit.
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character | Edward Bannerman Ramsay

British Dictionary definitions for ferly

ferly

/ (ˈfɛrlɪ) Scot /

adjective

wonderful; strange

nounplural -lies

a wonder; something strange or marvellous

verb-lies, -lying or -lied (intr)

to wonder; be surprised

Origin of ferly

Old English færlic sudden

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

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