comely

[ kuhm-lee ]
See synonyms for: comelycomeliness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,come·li·er, come·li·est.
  1. pleasing in appearance; attractive; fair: a comely face.

  2. proper; seemly; becoming: comely behavior.

Origin of comely

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English cumli, Old English cȳmlīc “lovely,” equivalent to cȳme “exquisite” (cognate with Middle High German kūme “weak, tender,” German kaum (adverb) “with difficulty,” Old High German kūmo ) + -līc -ly

Other words for comely

Opposites for comely

Other words from comely

  • come·li·ly, adverb
  • come·li·ness, noun
  • un·come·ly, adjective

Words Nearby comely

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use comely in a sentence

  • Her comely face contrasted pleasantly with the full chin, which bore a trace of the commanding expression of her mother.

    Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange Kielland
  • Not (one would say) from either his father or his mother, who were both, to judge from their portraits, very comely persons.

  • In due time Mr. Chittenden returned, accompanied by a comely mulatto woman about forty years of age.

  • The specimens of type and the woodcuts you have shown me promise a very comely little book.

    Marguerite | Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for comely

comely

/ (ˈkʌmlɪ) /


adjective-lier or -liest
  1. good-looking; attractive

Origin of comely

1
Old English cӯmlīc beautiful; related to Old High German cūmi frail, Middle High German komlīche suitably

Derived forms of comely

  • comeliness, 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