comely
adjective
Willa Cather
Did you know?
Comely Has a Broad and Beautiful History
Although comely is now typically used to describe the appearance of human beings, it was once used more broadly of other appealing things, such as fine clothing. Comely can be traced back to Old English words variously meaning "glorious," "lively," or "fine." If you are looking to pretty up your prose or poetry with additional words meaning "beautiful," English is well-supplied with them. Aside from beautiful itself, we have lovely, handsome, pretty, fair, good-looking, gorgeous, ravishing, and even well-favored.
Synonyms
- aesthetic
- esthetic
- aesthetical
- esthetical
- attractive
- beauteous
- beautiful
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- cute
- drop-dead
- fair
- fetching
- good
- good-looking
- goodly
- gorgeous
- handsome
- knockout
- likely
- lovely
- lovesome
- pretty
- ravishing
- seemly
- sightly
- stunning
- taking
- well-favored
Example Sentences
Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2019 Furthermore, the plant is topped by comely flowers, which in time proudly adorned the button-holes of no less than Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in their day intentionally marketing the potato to a then-skeptical proletariat. Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2019 Drinks were served downstairs, dinner upstairs, and the comely belly dancers oscillated between the two. Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2019 With the help of Margaret Bonelli, Cirese planned to transform Sabella over the winter from a disheveled and foreign woman into a comely American mother. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Woman's Day, 12 May 2017 This redesigned Traverse is a comely critter that’s lighter, easier on gas, peppier, and roomier than its predecessor. Al Haas, Philly.com, 7 June 2018 The contest regularly posted photos and brief bios of comely winners on trains from 1941 until 1976, and then sporadically. Don Oldenburg, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2018 While at a fashion show with his son, the elder Donald spotted a comely young model on the runway and in possibly the most embarrassing dad move ever, decided to play matchmaker. Julianne Pepitone, Town & Country, 11 July 2017 Like its comely skin and handsome 18-inch alloy wheels, the SL’s roomy interior was quite pleasing. Al Haas, Philly.com, 2 Feb. 2018 See More Word History
Middle English comly, alteration of Old English cȳmlic glorious, from cȳme lively, fine; akin to Old High German kūmig weak
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
comely
adjective
comely
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- handsome
- attractive
- beautiful
- lovely
- pretty
- cute
- gorgeous
- charming
- beauteous
- good
- seemly
- ravishing
- stunning
- elegant
- goodly
- delightful
- bonny
- sexy
- likely
- fetching
- good-looking
- well-favored
- sightly
- glorious
- taking
- pleasant
- aesthetic
- prepossessing
- knockout
- lovesome
- fair
- alluring
- hot
- perfect
- appealing
- desirable
- flawless
- magnificent
- fascinating
- statuesque
- cunning
- drop-dead
- exquisite
- delicate
- splendid
- superb
- glamorous
- bonnie
- esthetical
- radiant
- esthetic
- resplendent
- seductive
- nubile
- aesthetical
- presentable
- toothsome
- dainty
- engaging
- personable
- foxy
- sublime
- hunky
- luscious
- pulchritudinous
- studly
- striking
- glamourous
- dishy
- slick
- telegenic
- glossy
- photogenic
- showy
- Junoesque
- snazzy
- flamboyant
- arresting
- dollish
- flashy
- prettyish
- splashy
- eye-catching
- showstopping
- zingy
- chocolate-box
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- homely
- uncomely
- ugly
- plain
- unattractive
- hideous
- grotesque
- unpleasing
- unsightly
- unlovely
- unhandsome
- unbeautiful
- disagreeable
- unaesthetic
- loathsome
- repulsive
- revolting
- ghastly
- abominable
- terrible
- objectionable
- dreadful
- bad
- vile
- repugnant
- frightful
- offensive
- repellent
- disgusting
- horrible
- shocking
- ill-favored
- unpretty
- foul
- abhorrent
- unpleasant
- nauseating
- sickening
- unprepossessing
- nasty
- repellant
- unimposing
- unappealing
- uncute
- unappetizing
- unbecoming
- unshapely
- frumpy
- frumpish
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of comely are beautiful, fair, handsome, lovely, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.
The words beautiful and comely can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.
Although the words fair and comely have much in common, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.
In some situations, the words handsome and comely are roughly equivalent. However, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.
Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.
The meanings of pretty and comely largely overlap; however, pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.