seemly

American  

[seem-lee] / ˈsim li /

adjective

seemlier, seemliest

1. fitting or becoming with respect to propriety or good taste; decent; decorous.

   Your outburst of rage was hardly seemly.

   Synonyms:

   meet, appropriate, proper, right

2. suitable or appropriate; fitting.

   a seemly gesture.

   Synonyms:

   meet, appropriate, proper, right

3. of pleasing appearance; handsome.

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adverb

1. in a seemly manner; fittingly; becomingly.

seemly British  

/ ˈsiːmlɪ /

adjective

1. proper or fitting

2. obsolete pleasing or handsome in appearance

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adverb

1. archaic properly or decorously

Other Word Forms

• seemliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of seemly

1175–1225; Middle English semely < Old Norse sæmiligr honorable; derivative of sœmr ( see seem)

Explanation

You don't want to seem anything less than seemly, especially in the presence of the Queen. Only seemly behavior is allowed when she's around. Seemly behavior is polite, decent, upright, and appropriate. You'll need to get schooled in the ways of more seemly people before you can be allowed in the fanciest restaurant in town. At the moment, your ratty clothes, smelly feet, and bad manners can only be described as "unseemly" — which is, of course, the opposite of seemly. One way to remember the meaning of seemly is to think of how you'd like to "seem" to others. Chances are the answer is something like seemly. Unless you enjoy seeming like a big mess.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seemly seemlier seemliest

In court papers, state prison officials indicated their prospects for buying the drugs started to change as soon as it seemly likely lawmakers would pass the shield law.

From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2023

"Whether it's technically extortion, whether it is some other misconduct, nothing about this is seemly for a former president," she said.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2022

It was all very public, and not very seemly.

From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2021

We don’t need to add distance to make our enthusiasm more seemly or to drench ourselves in irony lest anyone think we actually care about all this rigmarole.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 27, 2017

"Your Grace," he said, "it is not seemly that the king should ride into the melee. It would not be a fair contest. Who would dare strike you?"

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

If Bobby Knight had played a little more at Ohio State 25 years ago, college basketball might be a little seemlier today.

From Time Magazine Archive

Being just a poster boy, after all, is so much seemlier.

From Time Magazine Archive

And when he joined the brave and stalwart ranks, Like Saul amid his brethren he stood, Braver and seemlier than all his peers, And nobly did he battle for the right.

From Poems by Marietta Holley

But one of the company said, "Indeed, the daughter of King Such-an-one is seemlier than he."

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 11 [Supplement] by Sir Richard Francis Burton

Of two such blessings, why forget The cheaper and the seemlier one?

From The Book of Humorous Verse by Carolyn Wells

Sir Le Beau Disconus rode to his lodging, and bade maid Elene put on her seemliest robes.

From The Junior Classics — Volume 4 by William Patten

Of daughters, had he six: Derbriu, Ethne and Ele, Clothru, Mugain and Medb, myself, that was the noblest and seemliest of them.

From The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge by Joseph Dunn

He already had the seemliest wife in the village.

From Roads of Destiny by O. Henry

"Why, if our wives chose to believe this lady, she would embroil the seemliest household in the company."

From The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. II. (of V.) by George Saintsbury

He looketh from without the entrance under a little tree and seeth there sitting one of the seemliest men that he had ever seen of his age.

From The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian Evans