lowly

English

Etymology

From low +‎ -ly; compare Middle English lowly.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊli

Adjective

lowly (comparative lowlier, superlative lowliest)

1. Not high; not elevated in place; low.
   • 1918, C. J. Dennis, The Chase of Ages‎^[1]:

     And I watched you waltz from tree to tree
     As I slunk in my lowly lair

   • 1697, John Dryden, translating Virgil, Aeneid‎^[2]:

     And those whom Tiber's holy forests hide,
     Or Circe's hills from the main land divide;
     Where Ufens glides along the lowly lands,
     Or the black water of Pomptina stands.

2. Low in rank or social importance.
   • 1725, Alexander Pope, translating Homer, Odyssey ‎^[3]:

     One common right the great and lowly claims.

3. Not lofty or sublime; humble.
   • 2010, David Dondero, Just a Baby in Your Momma's Eyes

     Where our apt used to be they built a fancy condominium high-rise.
     Which at a lowly income none of us could ever really quite afford.

   • 1697, John Dryden, Pastoral VI‎^[4]:

     For all who read, and reading, not disdain / These rural poems, and their lowly strain

4. Having a low esteem of one's own worth; humble; meek; free from pride.
   • 1769, Bible (King James Version), 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

• Bulgarian: скромен (bg) (skromen)
• Finnish: vaatimaton (fi)
• French: humble (fr)
• Irish: uiríseal, íseal

• Latin: humilis
• 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.
2. In a low condition; meanly.
3. At low pitch or volume.

   He muttered lowly.

Translations

humbly; meekly; modestly

• Bulgarian: скромно (bg) (skromno)

Anagrams

• wolly

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Middle English

Adverb

lowly

1. in a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly
   • a. 1472, Thomas Malory, “Capitulum x”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XXI, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034:

     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.