ably

adverb

ˈā-b(ə-)lē 

: in an able and skillful manner : with ability, skill, or proficiency

was ably assisted

This silly comic Christmas romp is ably performed by a cast of 22 actors, led by the high-spirited Danny McBride as the childlike Buddy.

—Matthew Yde

Last year, she ably completed a half-marathon run with only minimal training.

—Zachary Lewis

Synonyms

• masterfully
• capably
• skillfully
• well
• neatly
• competently
• expertly
• deftly
• artfully
• adroitly
• proficiently

Examples of ably in a Sentence

ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock

Recent Examples on the Web

When the film really flips its tone about halfway through, O’Connor ably carries that twist. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025

This can leave a certain blankness at the film’s center, but Seyfried’s performance ably fills in the emotional details. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025

At this point in time when AI is on the rise, there is a case for the Fed to be ably assisted by AI, if not completely replaced by it. —Vipin Bharathan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Can former Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton ably replace Ben Johnson as Jared Goff’s offensive coordinator? —Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ably

• bubbly
• doubly
• stably

Kids Definition

ably

adverb

ˈā-blē

: in an able manner