lovely

Wikipedia

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• IPA: /ˈlʌvli/

Etymology 1

From Middle English lovely, luvelich, lufli, from Old English luflīc (“amiable, loving, lovable”), equivalent to love +‎ -ly.

Adjective

lovely (comparative lovelier, superlative loveliest)

1. (obsolete) Inspiring actual love
2. Evoking love-like, happy emotions by aesthetic or similar endearing qualities.

   The lovely castle garden enchants visitors with its lovely blooms and romantic follies

3. Very nice, wonderful in a general sense.
4. (obsolete) Loving, filled with love

Synonyms

• lovable
• lovesome
• loving

Derived terms

• lovelily
• loveliness

Related terms

• loverly
• lovingly

Translations

inspiring actual love

• Dutch: (teer)geliefd, lievenswaardig

Evoking love-like, happy emotions by aesthetic or similar endearing qualities

• Dutch: liefelijk, lieflijk, beminnelijk
• Finnish: suloinen (fi), viehättävä (fi), miellyttävä (fi)
• German: lieblich (de)

• Latvian: mīlīgs (lv)
• Novial: amindi
• Portuguese: adorável (pt), amável (pt), querido (pt)

very nice, wonderful

• Cebuano: matahum, maanindot, gwapo
• Dutch: heerlijk (nl), zalig (nl)
• Finnish: ihana (fi)

• Latvian: mīlīgs (lv)
• Portuguese: adorável, amável, querido

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: adorable
• German: herrlich
• Tatar: сөйкемле

Noun

lovely (plural lovelies)

1. An attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.
2. A lovely object

Synonyms

• (an attractive, lovely person) pretty, darling

Translations

attractive person

• Dutch: lieverd m, liefje n, schat(je), oogappel

• Spanish: hermoso (es)

lovely object

• Dutch: (iets) liefs n, schat

Etymology 2

From Middle English lovely, loflik, from Old English loflīc (“fit to be praised, laudable”), equivalent to lofe +‎ -ly. Cognate with Dutch loffelijk (“laudable, praiseworthy”), German löblich (“commendable, laudable, praiseworthy”), Swedish lovlig (“permissible”). More at lofe, love.

Adjective

lovely (comparative lovelier or more lovely, superlative loveliest or most lovely)

1. Worthy to be praised.

Anagrams

• volley