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

In his absence, Mac Jones, who had been labeled a bust over the last couple of years, has filled in ably and allowed the 49ers to get out to a 4-2 record. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Comfortable at Versailles, devoted to his grandfather, Temple ably acquitted himself of his duties. —Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025

That usage scenario would have guaranteed a sync conflict a few years ago, but the service’s cloud synchronization ably fielded it this time. —Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2025

As for the sport itself, Safdie illustrates it ably but impersonally. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 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