lovely

[ luhv-lee ]

/ ˈlʌv li /

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See synonyms for: lovely / loveliest / lovelies / loveliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, love·li·er, love·li·est.

charmingly or exquisitely beautiful: a lovely flower.

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

delightful; highly pleasing: to have a lovely time.

of a great moral or spiritual beauty: a lovely character.

noun, plural love·lies.

Informal. a beautiful woman, especially a show girl.

any person or thing that is pleasing, highly satisfying, or the like: Every car in the new line is a lovely.

adverb

Nonstandard. very well; splendidly.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of lovely

before 900; Middle English luvelich,Old English luflīc amiable. See love, -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM lovely

love·li·ly, adverblove·li·ness, noun

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

How to use lovely in a sentence

She has been married to the music critic Pete Paphides (“the loveliest man who ever lived”) since 1999.
Join Caitlin Moran’s Riotous Feminist Revolution|Lizzie Crocker|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It stands entirely on its own as one of Salinger's saddest, loveliest stories.
What the Leaked J.D. Salinger Stories Reveal About the Author|Andrew Romano|November 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The loveliest thing about this play is that all it wants to do is entertain you.
James Corden Talks About Improv and ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’|Janice Kaplan|May 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I often visit the Tarnovskys, whose niece is the loveliest girl I ever saw in my life.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky

Your old homestead is the loveliest place around, with its deep eaves and dormer-windows and vines.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
I think it one of the loveliest spots I ever beheld, commanding beautiful views every way.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
If Jim had planned on showing them the loveliest scenery, he was running true to plan.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O|Clair Blank
It is the loveliest climate in the world, our political troubles seem near an end.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for lovely

lovely

/ (ˈlʌvlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

very attractive or beautiful

highly pleasing or enjoyablea lovely time

loving and attentive

inspiring love; lovable

noun plural -lies

slang a lovely woman

Derived forms of lovely

loveliness, noun

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

lovely

Origin of lovely

OTHER WORDS FROM lovely

Words related to lovely

How to use lovely in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lovely

Derived forms of lovely