earthly

English

Etymology

From Middle English erthely, erthlich, ierðlich, from Old English eorþlīċ, corresponding to earth +‎ -ly. Cognate with Old Norse jarðligr (“earthly”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈəːθli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

earthly (comparative earthlier, superlative earthliest)

1. Relating to the earth or this world, as opposed to heaven; terrestrial.

   earthly joys

   • (Can we date this quote?)

     This earthly load / Of death, called life.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, Phil. iii. 19

     whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things

2. (negative, informal) Used for emphasis
   • (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     What earthly benefit can be the result?

3. (obsolete) Made of earth; earthy.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Holland to this entry?)

Translations

as opposed to heaven

• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} земен, светски (zemen, svetski)
• Catalan: terrenal
• Czech: pozemský (cs)
• French: terrestre (fr)
• Galician: terreal m or f
• German: weltlich (de)
• Greek: επίγειος (el) (epígeios)

  Ancient: ἐπίγειος (epígeios)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: földi (hu), evilági
• Italian: terrestre (it)
• Japanese: 地上の (ちじょう-の, chijō-no), 現世の (げんせ-の, gense-no)
• Maori: whakawhenua
• Persian: زمینی (fa) (zamīnī)
• Portuguese: terreno (pt)
• Romanian: pământesc (ro)
• Russian: земно́й (ru) (zemnój), мирско́й (ru) (mirskój), су́етный (ru) (sújetnyj), све́тский (ru) (svétskij)
• Spanish: terrenal (es)

See also

• worldly

Noun

earthly (plural earthlies)

1. (UK, colloquial) A slightest chance (of success etc.) or idea (about something).
   • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 315:

     ‘Then I didn't have a chance when I stood you a drink?’ I said. ‘Not an earthly!’ she said and laughed; but when I left she kissed me good-night.

Adverb

earthly (comparative more earthly, superlative most earthly)

1. in an earthy manner

Further reading

• “earthly”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “earthly”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “earthly”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Anagrams

• Hartley, hartely, hartley, heartly, hetaryl, lathery