adj · adv · name · noun · 14 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.
/ˈlʌv.li/
[ˈlʌv.lɪi̯]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L AH1 V L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
It's a lovely day and the sun is shining.
The music box plays a lovely melody.
The castle garden enchants visitors with its lovely blooms.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Nice; wonderful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
It would be lovely to have a little more money to spend.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Inspiring love or friendship; amiable.
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
adj
Meaning 4
Loving, filled with love.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Worthy of praise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adv
Meaning 6
In a lovely fashion or manner; beautifully.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
name
Meaning 8
An unincorporated community in Martin County, Kentucky, United States.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
An attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Examples
a calendar depicting young lovelies in bikinis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: pretty, darling
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Term of fond address.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Goodbye, my lovely.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A lovely object.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
adjective satellite
Meaning 12
appealing to the emotions as well as the eye
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
lovable especially in a childlike or naive way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: adorable, endearing
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
a very pretty girl who works as a photographer's model
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cover girl, pin-up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: photographer's model
History
Etymology
From Middle English lovely, luvelich, lufli, from Old English luflīċ, luflīc (“amiable, loving, lovable”), equivalent to love + -ly.
From Middle English lofly, lovely (“praiseworthy; laudatory”), equivalent to lofe + -ly. Cognate with Dutch loffelijk (“laudable, praiseworthy”), German löblich (“commendable, laudable, praiseworthy”), Swedish lovlig (“permissible”). More at lofe, love.
From Middle English lovely, luveliche, from Old English luflīċe (“lovingly, amiably, kindly, dearly, with good will or love, willingly”), equivalent to love + -ly.
From lovely.
Across languages
Translations
110 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
възхитителен
(vǎzhititelen)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Bulgarian:
очарователен
(očarovatelen)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Catalan:
encantador
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Czech:
líbezný
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Danish:
dejlig
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Danish:
yndig
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Dutch:
liefelijk
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Dutch:
lieflijk
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Dutch:
beminnelijk
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Esperanto:
aminda
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Esperanto:
bela
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Faroese:
deiligur
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Finnish:
suloinen
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Finnish:
viehättävä
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Finnish:
miellyttävä
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Galician:
adorábel
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
მშვენიერი
(mšvenieri)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
ტურფა
(ṭurpa)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
საუცხოო
(saucxoo)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
საყვარელი
(saq̇vareli)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
მომხიბლავი
(momxiblavi)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
მიმზიდველი
(mimzidveli)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
სასიამოვნო
(sasiamovno)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
სანდომიანი
(sandomiani)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
წარმტაცი
(c̣armṭaci)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Georgian:
თვალწარმტაცი
(tvalc̣armṭaci)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
German:
lieblich
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
German:
liebreizend
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
German:
herrlich
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
German:
schön
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Hindi:
मनोहर
(manohar)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Hindi:
सुंदर
(sundar)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Hindi:
मनोरम
(manoram)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Italian:
bello
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Italian:
magnifico
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Japanese:
綺麗
(kirei)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Latin:
amabilis
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Latin:
venustus
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Latvian:
mīlīgs
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Middle English:
wlonk
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Middle English:
lefly
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Middle English:
lovely
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Middle English:
lovesom
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
deilig
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Norwegian Bokmål:
vakker
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Old English:
lēoflīċ
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Plautdietsch:
schmock
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Plautdietsch:
scheen
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Portuguese:
adorável
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Portuguese:
amável
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Portuguese:
querido
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Russian:
восхитительный
(vosxititelʹnyj)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Sanskrit:
गूर्त
(gūrta)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Sanskrit:
मञ्जु
(mañju)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Spanish:
lindo
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Swedish:
vacker
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Swedish:
härlig
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Ukrainian:
чудо́вий
(čudóvyj)
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Vietnamese:
dễ thương
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Welsh:
hyfryd
— beautiful; charming; very pleasing in form, looks, tone, or manner
Bulgarian:
прелестен
(prelesten)
— very nice, wonderful
Bulgarian:
прекрасен
(prekrasen)
— very nice, wonderful
Catalan:
preciós
— very nice, wonderful
Danish:
herlig
— very nice, wonderful
Dutch:
heerlijk
— very nice, wonderful
Dutch:
zalig
— very nice, wonderful
Esperanto:
aminda
— very nice, wonderful
Finnish:
ihana
— very nice, wonderful
French:
magnifique
— very nice, wonderful
German:
herrlich
— very nice, wonderful
German:
schön
— very nice, wonderful
Hindi:
मनोरम
(manoram)
— very nice, wonderful
Italian:
stupendo
— very nice, wonderful
Japanese:
良い
(yoi)
— very nice, wonderful
Latvian:
mīlīgs
— very nice, wonderful
Middle English:
lovesom
— very nice, wonderful
Middle English:
lovely
— very nice, wonderful
Norwegian Bokmål:
herlig
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
miły
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
mili
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
miła
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
miłe
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
miłe
— very nice, wonderful
Polish:
miłe
— very nice, wonderful
Portuguese:
adorável
— very nice, wonderful
Portuguese:
amável
— very nice, wonderful
Portuguese:
querido
— very nice, wonderful
Russian:
восхитительный
(vosxititelʹnyj)
— very nice, wonderful
Spanish:
genial
— very nice, wonderful
Spanish:
monono
— very nice, wonderful
Swedish:
härlig
— very nice, wonderful
Ukrainian:
чудо́вий
(čudóvyj)
— very nice, wonderful
Ukrainian:
ми́лий
(mýlyj)
— very nice, wonderful
Welsh:
hyfryd
— very nice, wonderful
Middle English:
lovesom
— inspiring love or friendship
Swedish:
härlig
— inspiring love or friendship
Middle English:
lovely
— loving, filled with love
Bulgarian:
красавица
(krasavica)
— attractive person
