lovely
1 of 2adjective
love·ly ˈləv-lē 
lovelier; loveliest
1
: delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace : attractive
She looks lovely in that dress.
2
: grand, swell
what a lovely morning
3
: eliciting love by moral or ideal worth
A lovely woman who loves him for himself, not for his money.
4
obsolete : lovable
lovelily
ˈləv-lə-lē
adverb loveliness
ˈləv-lē-nəs
noun lovely
2 of 2noun
plural lovelies
1
: a beautiful woman
2
: a lovely object
Synonyms
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective She was wearing a lovely dress. a lovely bouquet of flowers The song has a lovely melody. The hotel has a lovely view. We enjoyed a lovely dinner. a singer with a lovely voice Their children have lovely manners. How lovely of you to come! It was lovely to have you here! Noun A chorus line of young lovelies danced on the stage. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022 The New Zealand landscapes are lovely, the visual effects are both expansive and unobtrusive, and certain performers (especially Clark as Galadriel and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV of the dwarves) are immediate standouts. David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Aug. 2022 As the protein cooks, these drippings brown, caramelize, and take on a lovely, deep, and rich flavor. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2022 Now, that’s all lovely and fine and good, but…when is Berger coming back? Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2022 This cream sweater with blue and pink blooms looked lovely on Diana. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 14 Aug. 2022 Here was a tense dialectic that energized his entire career—a tugging between a world of civic engagement, where all pronouncements are dubious, and a sere realm of a lovely, but unsustainable, disembodiment. Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 But as lawns turn crunchy with water restrictions and drought, many Angelenos are looking to install lovely, much less thirsty landscapes. Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 In the winter, Dior's Vanilla Diorama is a very lovely, cozy, warm scent. Jihan Forbes, Allure, 16 June 2022 Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019 The vegetables: Along with the summer lovelies mentioned above, some people get all crazy and put mushrooms in their ratatouille. James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Aug. 2019 Here are some of the lovelies that were arrested recently -- the Berkeley deal. Fox News, 29 Aug. 2018 Scott Rubin was asked to write jokes for National Lampoon’s Strip Poker, a witless pay-per-view series featuring Kaelin and a group of lovelies (including Olivia Munn, then known as Lisa) at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Jamaica. Benjamin Wallace, HWD, 1 May 2017 The Observer resolved then and there to award these two lovelies his first Mellow MoonPie award, for grit and glimmer in the face of death. The Masked Observer, AL.com, 31 Jan. 2018 Of these desirable lovelies, only Mabel (who is also played by the gamely resourceful Omar) opens her heart to poor forlorn Freddy. Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, 26 Jan. 2018 Its Instagram feed for its men’s line, for example, which has more than 855,000 followers, is a cornucopia of F.O.M.O.-inducing shots of stylish young lovelies cavorting in exotic locales wearing cool watches. Alex Williams, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2017 Lunch or dinner isn’t complete without a stop at the pretty-as-a-picture pastry case, with lovelies like chocolate caramel tartlets lined up inside. Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Sep. 2017 See More
Adjective
Her Majesty the Queen looked lovely in a green and pink floral outfit while attending a luncheon alongside the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge. Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022 The New Zealand landscapes are lovely, the visual effects are both expansive and unobtrusive, and certain performers (especially Clark as Galadriel and Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV of the dwarves) are immediate standouts. David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Aug. 2022 As the protein cooks, these drippings brown, caramelize, and take on a lovely, deep, and rich flavor. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2022 Now, that’s all lovely and fine and good, but…when is Berger coming back? Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2022 This cream sweater with blue and pink blooms looked lovely on Diana. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 14 Aug. 2022 Here was a tense dialectic that energized his entire career—a tugging between a world of civic engagement, where all pronouncements are dubious, and a sere realm of a lovely, but unsustainable, disembodiment. Brad Leithauser, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 But as lawns turn crunchy with water restrictions and drought, many Angelenos are looking to install lovely, much less thirsty landscapes. Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 In the winter, Dior's Vanilla Diorama is a very lovely, cozy, warm scent. Jihan Forbes, Allure, 16 June 2022 Noun
No, Colin Frissell hooking up with the three lovelies in Wisconsin. Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019 The vegetables: Along with the summer lovelies mentioned above, some people get all crazy and put mushrooms in their ratatouille. James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Aug. 2019 Here are some of the lovelies that were arrested recently -- the Berkeley deal. Fox News, 29 Aug. 2018 Scott Rubin was asked to write jokes for National Lampoon’s Strip Poker, a witless pay-per-view series featuring Kaelin and a group of lovelies (including Olivia Munn, then known as Lisa) at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Jamaica. Benjamin Wallace, HWD, 1 May 2017 The Observer resolved then and there to award these two lovelies his first Mellow MoonPie award, for grit and glimmer in the face of death. The Masked Observer, AL.com, 31 Jan. 2018 Of these desirable lovelies, only Mabel (who is also played by the gamely resourceful Omar) opens her heart to poor forlorn Freddy. Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, 26 Jan. 2018 Its Instagram feed for its men’s line, for example, which has more than 855,000 followers, is a cornucopia of F.O.M.O.-inducing shots of stylish young lovelies cavorting in exotic locales wearing cool watches. Alex Williams, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2017 Lunch or dinner isn’t complete without a stop at the pretty-as-a-picture pastry case, with lovelies like chocolate caramel tartlets lined up inside. Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Sep. 2017 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing lovely
Kids Definition
lovely
adjective
love·ly ˈləv-lē
lovelier; loveliest
1
: very attractive or beautiful
You look lovely in that outfit.
2
: very pleasing
We had a lovely time.
lovely 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in wonderful
of the very best kind thanked their hosts for the lovely time they had at the party Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- wonderful
- beautiful
- fabulous
- excellent
- awesome
- fantastic
- great
- terrific
- superb
- marvelous
- stellar
- fine
- marvellous
- hot
- neat
- prime
- cool
- heavenly
- fab
- splendid
- famous
- classic
- quality
- divine
- brave
- good
- sensational
- groovy
- peachy
- exceptional
- nifty
- slick
- noble
- grand
- superlative
- fantabulous
- choice
- dandy
- sterling
- top
- superior
- swell
- immense
- cracking
- prize
- keen
- par excellence
- decent
- bonny
- banner
- dynamite
- capital
- too much
- topping
- mean
- crackerjack
- unsurpassed
- primo
- brag
- prizewinning
- righteous
- special
- bumper
- peachy keen
- frontline
- gangbusters
- supernal
- better
- boffo
- corking
- radical
- gone
- dope
- bully
- boss
- top-notch
- number one
- high-class
- wizard
- topflight
- first-rate
- adequate
- hype
- gangbuster
- first-class
- numero uno
- bonnie
- down
- jim-dandy
- phat
- tip-top
- acceptable
- top-shelf
- out of this world
- gilt-edge
- satisfactory
- bang-up
- gilt-edged
- traditional
- five-star
- top-of-the-line
- A-OK
- out-of-sight
- blue-chip
- fancy
- classical
- four-star
- No. 1
- blue-ribbon
- all right
- tolerable
- passable
- first-string
- premium
- A1
- superfine
- okay
- select
- standard
- OK
- high-grade
- high-test
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- poor
- awful
- terrible
- vile
- lousy
- atrocious
- wretched
- pathetic
- rotten
- bad
- execrable
- unsatisfactory
- inferior
- substandard
- mediocre
- middling
- low-grade
- second-rate
- second-class
2
as in beautiful
very pleasing to look at a lovely painting of young girls in their summer dresses Synonyms & Similar Words
- beautiful
- gorgeous
- cute
- pretty
- handsome
- attractive
- stunning
- good
- charming
- delightful
- elegant
- glorious
- beauteous
- ravishing
- perfect
- magnificent
- likely
- goodly
- fascinating
- sexy
- comely
- superb
- pleasant
- taking
- fair
- aesthetic
- flawless
- exquisite
- bonny
- hot
- fetching
- knockout
- lovesome
- seemly
- splendid
- good-looking
- sightly
- desirable
- appealing
- drop-dead
- delicate
- glamorous
- well-favored
- alluring
- bonnie
- sublime
- resplendent
- engaging
- radiant
- esthetic
- cunning
- aesthetical
- statuesque
- esthetical
- seductive
- luscious
- dainty
- personable
- prepossessing
- glamourous
- striking
- presentable
- foxy
- glossy
- snazzy
- prettyish
- toothsome
- showy
- photogenic
- nubile
- flamboyant
- hunky
- dishy
- slick
- Junoesque
- arresting
- flashy
- zingy
- pulchritudinous
- dollish
- splashy
- chocolate-box
- studly
- eye-catching
- telegenic
- showstopping
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- homely
- hideous
- ugly
- unlovely
- unattractive
- plain
- unbeautiful
- terrible
- grotesque
- horrible
- bad
- dreadful
- unhandsome
- ghastly
- disgusting
- frightful
- loathsome
- vile
- disagreeable
- nasty
- revolting
- abominable
- shocking
- unsightly
- unpleasing
- uncute
- abhorrent
- repulsive
- unpleasant
- repugnant
- sickening
- uncomely
- offensive
- objectionable
- unpretty
- unaesthetic
- foul
- repellent
- nauseating
- ill-favored
- unappealing
- unprepossessing
- unappetizing
- repellant
- unimposing
- frumpy
- unshapely
- unbecoming
- frumpish
lovely
2 of 2noun
as in stunner
Synonyms & Similar Words
- stunner
- eyeful
- cutey
- beauty
- goddess
- cutie
- hottie
- ten
- dreamboat
- doll
- fox
- looker
- glamour-puss
- showstopper
- dish
- babe
- stud
- knockout
- beefcake
- superstud
- hunk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dog
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of lovely are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.
a lovely melody
The words beautiful and lovely are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.
beautiful mountain scenery
Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.
the comely grace of a dancer
In some situations, the words fair and lovely are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.
fair of face
While in some cases nearly identical to lovely, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.
a handsome Georgian mansion
Although the words pretty and lovely have much in common, pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.
a painter of conventionally pretty scenes