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• -ly
  -ly

  a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly.
• ly
  ly

  abbreviation

  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

-ly

American  

1. a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives: gladly; gradually; secondly.

2. a suffix meaning “every,” attached to certain nouns denoting units of time: hourly; daily.

3. an adjective suffix meaning “-like”: saintly; cowardly.

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-ly ¹ British  

suffix

1. having the nature or qualities of

   brotherly

   godly

2. occurring at certain intervals; every

   daily

   yearly

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-ly ² British  

suffix

1. in a certain manner; to a certain degree

   quickly

   recently

   chiefly

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ly ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

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Etymology

Origin of -ly

Middle English adverb -li, -lich(e), Old English -līce ( -līc adjective suffix + -e adverb suffix); Middle English adjective -li, -ly, -lich(e), Old English -līc (cognate with German -lich ), suffixal use of gelīc “similar to, like”; see origin at like ¹

Example Sentences

And below is a list of most common -ly adverbs by author.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2013

Euphonic changes were very arbitrary and various, differing for the same termination; but the adverbial ending -ly was always -osh; terribly, terriblosh.

From The Child and Childhood in Folk-Thought Studies of the Activities and Influences of the Child Among Primitive Peoples, Their Analogues and Survivals in the Civilization of To-Day by Chamberlain, Alexander F.

Adverbs in -ly usually have more and most instead of the inflected form, only occasionally having -er and -est.

From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt

Brightly, bravely.—Here an adjective is rendered adverbial by the addition of the derivative syllable -ly.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)

I know the house quite well—I've heard Her father's something in the City, And she's a blue-eyed girl absurd- -ly pretty.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, April 4, 1891 by Various