comely
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L56449 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈkʌmli/
adj
Etymology: The adjective is derived from Middle English comly, comli, cumly, cumlich (“of a person: beautiful, handsome, etc.; of noble birth, bearing, or character; of behaviour: appropriate, becoming; of an event: convenient; favourable; of a thing: beautiful, wonderful; fitting, proper”), from Old English cymlīċ, cȳmlīċ (“beautiful, comely; splendid; convenient”), from cȳme (“beautiful, comely; splendid; exquisite, fine”) + -līċ (suffix meaning ‘like; relating to’ forming adjectives). Cȳme is derived from Proto-Germanic *kūmiz (“delicate; feeble”), from *kūmalīkaz (“dear; pitiful”), probably related to *kūmaz, *kūmijaz (“pitiful; frail, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH- (“to call, name; to call on, invoke; to cry, cry out”). The word was influenced by come (verb). The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates Middle Dutch komelick, komlick Middle High German gomelīh, komelīh
- Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.
“a comely woman”
“Not once perceive their foul disfigurement, / But boaſt themſelves more comely than before”
- Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.
“Doth any contumely vvhich vvee ſuſtaine for religions ſake pierce ſo deeply as […] vvhen they […] trample vnder foote almoſt vvhatſoeuer either vvee or the vvhole Church of God by the ſpace of ſo many ages haue beene accuſtomed vnto for the comlier and better exerciſe of our religion according to the ſoundeſt rules that vviſedome directed by the vvord of God and by long experience confirmed hath beene able vvith common aduice, vvith much deliberation and exceeding great diligence to comprehende; […]”
“I neuer tempted her vvith vvord too large, / But as a brother to his ſiſter, ſhevved / Baſhfull ſinceritie, and comelie loue.”
- Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.
“In ſhootinge at the prickes, haſtye and quicke drawinge is neyther ſure nor yet comely.”
- Pleasing to the feelings or senses; agreeable, nice, pleasant.
“Oh hovv comely it is and hovv reviving / To the Spirits of juſt men long oppreſt! / VVhen God into the hands of thir deliverer / Puts invincible might”
“[T]hey said many kind and comely things about the people they had met.”
adv
Etymology: From Middle English comli, cumly, cumeliche (“beautifully, handsomely; gracefully; splendidly; fittingly, properly; well”), from Old English cȳme (adjective) (see etymology 1) + Middle English -li (suffix forming adverbs).
- Synonym of comelily (“in a comely manner: in an attractive or pleasing manner; in a manner which meets accepted moral or social norms”).
“So ſlides he dovvne vppon his greyned bat [i.e., a walking stick]; / And comely diſtant ſits he by her ſide, […]”
“T'is very good to vvaſh his hands and face often, to haue faire linnen about him, to be decently and comely attired, for ſordes vitiant, naſtineſſe defiles, & deiects any man that is ſo voluntarily, or compelled by vvant, it dulleth the ſpirits.”
verb
Etymology: The adjective is derived from Middle English comly, comli, cumly, cumlich (“of a person: beautiful, handsome, etc.; of noble birth, bearing, or character; of behaviour: appropriate, becoming; of an event: convenient; favourable; of a thing: beautiful, wonderful; fitting, proper”), from Old English cymlīċ, cȳmlīċ (“beautiful, comely; splendid; convenient”), from cȳme (“beautiful, comely; splendid; exquisite, fine”) + -līċ (suffix meaning ‘like; relating to’ forming adjectives). Cȳme is derived from Proto-Germanic *kūmiz (“delicate; feeble”), from *kūmalīkaz (“dear; pitiful”), probably related to *kūmaz, *kūmijaz (“pitiful; frail, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH- (“to call, name; to call on, invoke; to cry, cry out”). The word was influenced by come (verb). The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates Middle Dutch komelick, komlick Middle High German gomelīh, komelīh
- To embellish or grace (something).
“One diligent seruiture, skilfull to waight, / more comelieth thy table than other some eight, / That stand for to listen, or gasing about, / not minding their dutie, within nor without.”