Etymology From Middle English lovely, luvelich, lufli, from Old English luflīċ, luflīc (“amiable, loving, lovable”), equivalent to love + -ly.
1
Delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace.
It's a lovely day and the sun is shining.
The music box plays a lovely melody.
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The castle garden enchants visitors with its lovely blooms.
So it was this beautiful young woman Rokoff had been persecuting. Tarzan wondered in a lazy sort of way whom she might be, and what relations one so lovely could have with the surly, bearded Russian.1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Forging Bonds of Hate and ——?”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 19:
His pink coat was lovely1915, Herman Cyril McNeile, The Lieutenant and Others:
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.1923 October, Robert Frost, “[Grace Notes.] Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”, in New Hampshire […], New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →OCLC, page 87:
2
Nice; wonderful.
It would be lovely to have a little more money to spend.
It is a lovely night, and why should we not prolong our ride a little?"1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 135:
a most lovely gentlemanlike manc. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
seal the title with a lovely kissc. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
Etymology From Middle English lovely, luvelich, lufli, from Old English luflīċ, luflīc (“amiable, loving, lovable”), equivalent to love + -ly.
1
Informal An attractive, lovely person, especially a (professional) beauty.
a calendar depicting young lovelies in bikinis
"I'd sooner be on the stage than anywhere else." "You mean you like being cocked up in front of an audience with nothing much on and getting a thrill out of being what those idiotic newspapers call a Lovely or a Glamour Girl. With all the damned glamour on the stage and none off it."1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 6:
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Tom Bower’s 2024 book, The House of Beckham, painted a rather snide portrait of the marriage, in which Beckham is constantly surrounded by lovelies, and Victoria is in a constant huff about it.2025 May 2, Zoe Williams, Sarah Gilbert, “David Beckham at 50: his gorgeous, outrageous life in 50 pictures”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2
Term of fond address.
Goodbye, my lovely.
But where do you go to my lovely / When you're alone in your bed?1969, Peter Sarstedt, “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?”:
3
A lovely object.
In Montréal, the summer months bring in a huge variety of fruits and vegetables and this is the time to preserve them. Preserving can also refer to the storage of these fiber and vitamin rich lovelies.2011, Theodora Floros, What'S for Lunch?: A Cooking Guide for Parents, →ISBN, page 13:
May Bell ironed the last ruffle and then hung the dress in the wardrobe next to her other lovelies.2015, Marlys Millhiser, The Mirror, →ISBN:
lovely
adv
Etymology From Middle English lovely, luveliche, from Old English luflīċe (“lovingly, amiably, kindly, dearly, with good will or love, willingly”), equivalent to love + -ly.
1
Informal In a lovely fashion or manner; beautifully.
She's not everyone's cup of tea, what with the way she speaks her mind and doesn't always do her hair in the morning, but she scrubs up lovely.2014, Neil Bartlett, chapter 18, in The Disappearance Boy, A&C Black:
lovely
adj
Etymology 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.
And so he is in the eyes of all who live to his praise. To them every attribute of God is lovely. The holiness and purity of his nature is most lovely to them.1773, Thomas Boston (the Elder.), Alexander Colden, The Whole Works of the late reverend and learned Mr. Thomas Boston, Minister of the Gospel at Etterick:
He is altogether lovely. O, all our praises of him are poor and low things!1807, Erasmus Middleton, Evangelical biography:
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О praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious : О sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.1823, Church of England, Llyfr gweddi gyffredin:
It is the duty of all believers to join themselves cheerfully in the setting forth the Lord's care over them, and whatsoever may make his lovely Majesty known to the world: for so he requireth the present precept and example, -- sing praises to the Lord.1834, David Dickson, A Brief Explication of the Psalms - Volume 1, page 39:
My precious Saviour's matchless name ; He's wise and holy, just and true, And altogether lovely too.1876, John Vaughan, Trinity hymns for the worship of the three-one Jehovah in faith & love: