grandmotherly

American  

[gran-muhth-er-lee, grand-, gram-] / ˈgrænˌmʌð ər li, ˈgrænd-, ˈgræm- /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a grandmother.

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Usage

What does grandmotherly mean? Grandmotherly is an adjective that most commonly means like a grandmother. It’s especially used in a positive way to describe someone as being kind, nurturing, and protective—like a good grandmother who loves and cares for her grandchild(ren).Describing someone as grandmotherly often implies that they listen and give good advice—it’s perhaps most commonly used in the phrase grandmotherly advice. Grandmotherly is most often used to describe grandmothers themselves, but it can be applied to someone who’s not a grandmother, as in After my grandmother died, I started relying on my Great Aunt Jane for grandmotherly support. Grandmotherly is one of many similar adjectives based on family relations, including motherly, fatherly, grandfatherly, brotherly, and sisterly.Example: Many of my most important life lessons came in the form of grandmotherly advice from my kindly Grandma Rose.

Other Word Forms

• grandmotherliness noun

Etymology

Origin of grandmotherly

First recorded in 1835–45; grandmother + -ly

Example Sentences

The grandmotherly driving of today’s Waymos conjures images of two, excessively polite Midwesterners locked at an intersection, each beckoning the other to go first, back and forth in perpetuity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her voice was sad and lovely and grandmotherly, but with bright things in it.

From Los Angeles Times

Plowright often portrayed the grandmotherly type in a variety of films, including family-friendly titles “101 Dalmatians” and “Dennis the Menace.”

From Los Angeles Times

Her grandmotherly Sunja wears an unbothered determination fiercely throughout the season, especially when a shameful insult to which she’s subjected gives rise to an unexpected friendship that’s both affirming and potentially renewing.

From Salon

Pairing with Snoop helped put the fastidious chef and crafter in front of a younger, hipper audience, while the grandmotherly Stewart assisted in making the rapper approachable for a wider range of consumers.

From Los Angeles Times