Standard Lemma guide

goodly

adj · adv · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡʊdli/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʊdli
  • CMU ARPABET: G UH1 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Good; pleasing in appearance; attractive; comely; graceful; pleasant; desirable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Quite large; considerable; sufficient; adequate; more than enough.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a goodly sum of money
  • walking at a goodly pace

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In a goodly way; courteously, graciously.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Well; excellently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

large in amount or extent or degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it cost a considerable amount
  • a goodly amount
  • received a hefty bonus
  • a respectable sum
  • a tidy sum of money
  • a sizable fortune

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: goodish, healthy, hefty, respectable, sizable, sizeable, tidy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ghedh-der. Proto-Germanic *gadanąvṛd. Proto-Germanic *gōdaz Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *gōdalīkaz Proto-West Germanic *gōdalīk Old English gōdlīċ Middle English goodlich English goodly From Middle English goodly, goodlich, gōdlich, from Old English gōdlīċ (“good, goodly”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdalīk, from Proto-Germanic *gōdalīkaz (“good, goodly”); equivalent to good + -ly. Cognate with Dutch goedelijk, goelijk (“harmless, benign”), German gütlich (“friendly”), Icelandic góðlegur (“benign”).

From Middle English goodly, goodliche, gōdliche, from Old English gōdlīċe (“goodly”), from the adjective; equivalent to good + -ly. Cognate with Middle High German guotlīche, güetlīche.