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.

---

adverb

1. in a seemly manner; fittingly; becomingly.

seemly British  

/ ˈsiːmlɪ /

adjective

1. proper or fitting

2. obsolete pleasing or handsome in appearance

---

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

She adds in the series that she “didn’t feel it was seemly to get into a public fight with him.”

From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2021

I wanted to tell him that I would miss him, but I didn’t think saying such a thing would be seemly.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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

Lieutenant Bonaparte, Would it not seemlier be to shut thy heart To these unhealthy splendours?—helmet thee For her thou swar'st-to first, fair Liberty?

From The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy

They were, so to speak, the first-fruits of a seemlier muse.

From The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 3 by Ernest Hartley Coleridge

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

From The Book of Humorous Verse by Carolyn Wells

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

And when Sir Launcelot was so arrayed like a knight, he was the seemliest man in all the court, and none so well made.

From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 2 by Sir Thomas Malory

And he began to speak with the Queen, and he thought from her speech, that she was the seemliest, and most noble lady of converse and of cheer that ever was. 

From The Mabinogion Vol. 3 by Sir Owen Morgan Edwards

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---