Lordy

English

Alternative forms

• lordy

Etymology

Lord +‎ -y. Nineteenth century, originally U.S.

Interjection

Lordy

1. Expressing mild emotion, such as exasperation or frustration.

   Lordy! Where's he off to now?

   • 1889 July 11, Herbert Tidd Bradley, “Fo' He am de Lord of de blue and de gray”, in America: A Journal for Americans, volume 2, page 453:

     Aunt Betty graciously permitted this. She always did; but if the forgetful old man wandered for a moment away from his theme she brought him back with a surreptitious: “Lordy! yo' ole head done filled wid me yit."

   • 2011 July 18, John Cassidy, quoting James Comey, “Mastering the Machine”, in The New Yorker‎^[1], →ISSN:

     “I said, ‘Lordy, we have to put tops on bottoms. Let’s get something done,’ ” Comey recalled.

2. Expressing strong emotion, such as amazement.
   • 1863 March, “A horrible scrape”, in The Southern Literary Messenger, volume 37, page 172:

     Lordy! Call your dogs off, call your dogs off! Oh! Lordy! call em off quick! quick!

   • 2008 September 14, Craig McLean, “Rock review: AC/DC, Rock 'n' Roll Train”, in The Observer‎^[2]:

     It can only be AC/DC: black black black! with the first single from their first new album in eight years, Black Ice. It's blues-metal heaviosity in exelcis^[sic]. Not clever but, oh lordy, it's big.

Usage notes

Often used in a combination like “Oh Lordy”, “Oh Lordy Lord” or even repeated “Oh Lordy, Lordy Lord”.

Synonyms

• dear Lord
• Lord
• Lordy loo
• lawks

Further reading

• “Lordy”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “Lordy, exc.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “Lordy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “Lordy”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “Lordy” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.