lowly

English

Etymology

From low +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -əʊli

Adjective

lowly (comparative lowlier, superlative lowliest)

1. Not high; not elevated in place; low.
   • Dryden

     lowly lands

2. Low in rank or social importance.
   • Alexander Pope

     One common right the great and lowly claims.

3. Not lofty or sublime; humble.
   • Dryden

     these rural poems, and their lowly strain

4. Having a low esteem of one's own worth; humble; meek; free from pride.
   • Bible, Matthew xi. 29

     Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

Derived terms

• lowliness

Translations

not lofty or sublime; humble

• Finnish: vaatimaton (fi)
• Irish: uiríseal, íseal

• Russian: ни́зко (ru) (nízko)
• Swedish: ödmjuk (sv), blygsam (sv), anspråkslös (sv)

Adverb

lowly (comparative more lowly, superlative most lowly)

1. In a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly.
   • 1485 July 31, Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], (please specify the book number), [London: William Caxton], OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur, London: Published by David Nutt, in the Strand, 1889, OCLC 890162034:
     , Bk.XXI, Ch.x:

     And there was none of these other knyghtes but they redde in bookes and holpe for to synge Masse, and range bellys, and dyd lowly al maner of servyce.

2. In a low condition; meanly.