lowly

[ loh-lee ]

/ ˈloʊ li /

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See synonyms for: lowly / lowliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, low·li·er, low·li·est.

humble in station, condition, or nature: a lowly cottage.

low in growth or position.

humble in attitude, behavior, or spirit; meek.

adverb

in a low position, manner, or degree: a lowly placed shelf.

in a lowly manner; humbly.

in a quiet voice; softly: to converse lowly.

OTHER WORDS FOR lowly

3 modest, simple, unpretentious.

See synonyms for lowly on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of lowly

A Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at low¹, -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM lowly

low·li·ly, adverblow·li·ness, nounun·low·ly, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lowly

low, lowly

Words nearby lowly

low-level waste, lowlife, lowlight, lowlihead, low-loader, lowly, low-lying, low man on the totem pole, Low Mass, low milling, low-minded

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lowly in a sentence

Even in the state of half-sleep—psychologists call it hypnagogia—our minds are sufficiently loose to descend from those lowly hills.
Why It Pays to Play Around - Issue 94: Evolving|Andreas Wagner|December 16, 2020|Nautilus
As a lowly employee, your ability to correct his behavior is limited.
Miss Manners: Exec’s disgusting habit needs to move off-screen|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
Because of their tie in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Eagles could do the Cowboys one better — winning the division with a lowly 4-11-1 record.
The NFC East Is Historically Bad. How Much Worse Can It Get?|Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com)|October 15, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Even as he argued that man ought to be humbled by his connection to the lemur, he placed man at the summit, the lemur on the lowly plain.
The Human Error Darwin Inspired - Issue 90: Something Green|Aaron Hirsh|September 30, 2020|Nautilus

The Laker players file onto the chartered team bus to make their way back to the facility for a brief practice run before the night’s matchup against the lowly Cavaliers.
Kobe Bryant Punched A Teammate Over $100, And It Wasn’t Shaq|Jeff Pearlman|September 25, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Lowly freshman congressmen could now buck the speaker, as one rich guy could fund their next campaign.
Speed Read: Kenneth Vogel’s ‘Big Money’ Shows How PACs Control Politics|William O’Connor|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a lowly country lawyer and she a Kentucky aristocrat who had come to visit her older sister in Illinois.
Lincoln in Love|Jerome Charyn|February 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With three years left to his presidency, we are reduced to the lowly ambition of executive orders.
Obama’s Speech Was Missing Shared Goals for America’s Future|Mark McKinnon|January 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of the best presidential orators in history, Obama was reduced to the lowly ambition of executive orders.
Obama’s Speech Was Missing Shared Goals for America’s Future|Mark McKinnon|January 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also took aim at senior Republican figures and lowly GOP Hill staffers.
Exclusive: White House Official Fired for Tweeting Under Fake Name|Josh Rogin|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
She was delighted with these indications of gratitude and sensibility on the part of the unenlightened and lowly peasantry.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
A deep sigh—the first of unfeigned regret for her lowly station—perhaps of envy—broke from the lips of the wondering girl.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
They were, for the chief part, of lowly condition, but occasionally one or two of better rank.
My Ten Years' Imprisonment|Silvio Pellico
In striking contrast to all this magnificence was the lowly home to which James Starbuck brought his happy bride.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various

British Dictionary definitions for lowly

lowly

/ (ˈləʊlɪ) rare /

adjective -lier or -liest

humble or low in position, rank, status, etc

full of humility; meek

simple, unpretentious, or plain

adverb

in a low or lowly manner

Derived forms of lowly

lowliness, 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

lowly

OTHER WORDS FOR lowly

Origin of lowly

OTHER WORDS FROM lowly

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lowly

Words nearby lowly

Words related to lowly

How to use lowly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lowly

Derived forms of lowly