lovely

[luhv-lee]

adjective

lovelier, loveliest 

1. charmingly or exquisitely beautiful.

   a lovely flower.

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

3. delightful; highly pleasing.

   to have a lovely time.

4. of a great moral or spiritual beauty.

   a lovely character.

noun

plural

lovelies 

1. Informal.,  a beautiful woman, especially a show girl.

2. any person or thing that is pleasing, highly satisfying, or the like.

   Every car in the new line is a lovely.

adverb

1. Nonstandard.,  very well; splendidly.

lovely

/ ˈlʌvlɪ /

adjective

1. very attractive or beautiful

2. highly pleasing or enjoyable

   a lovely time

3. loving and attentive

4. inspiring love; lovable

noun

1. slang,  a lovely woman

Other Word Forms

• loveliness noun
• lovelily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of lovely¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English luvelich, Old English luflīc “amiable”; love + -ly

Example Sentences

"We've got a lovely day planned for everybody - some great food stalls and fantastic entertainment, and I think we're going to be chock-a-block full on both the men's and junior's sides."

From BBC

He did great - he is a lovely person and he did really well.

From BBC

"It was lovely, we were involved in trying to find a name for Leah and it took a few weeks," she recalled.

From BBC

I think Reform's agenda is a very Trumpian America agenda, where people end up paying for healthcare, there will be a lot of fracking in our lovely countryside.

From BBC

It’s a lovely image: Kirk as a modern-day Socrates, wandering the agora of America’s universities seeking to find truth by means of rhetorical contest.

From Salon

Related Words

• alluring 
• beautiful 
• captivating 
• charming 
• delicate 
• delicious 
• delightful 
• enchanting 
• engaging 
• exquisite 
• gorgeous 
• graceful 
• handsome 
• pleasant 
• pleasing 
• pretty 
• splendid 
• stunning 
• sweet 

When To Use

What are other ways to say lovely?

The adjective lovely describes people or things that are charmingly or exquisitely beautiful. How is it different from beautiful, handsome, and pretty? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.