bodily

1 of 2

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbä-də-lē 

1

: having a body : physical

2

: of or relating to the body

bodily comfort

bodily organs

bodily

2 of 2

adverb

1

a

: in the flesh

b

: in a manner that involves physically moving someone's body

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

Jerry Wexler called him a "parasite" and threw him bodily out of his office.

—Jack Kroll

2

: as a whole : altogether

Synonyms of bodily

Adjective

• physical

Examples of bodily in a Sentence

Adjective

The victim suffered serious bodily injury.

the old man suffered from a number of bodily ailments

Adverb

The blast lifted him bodily into the air.

The house will have to be moved bodily to the new site.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

McAlister was also charged with a second count of terroristic threat causing fear of imminent serious bodily injury, which is a misdemeanor. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026

In the absence of gravity, bodily fluids move upward, and reduce astronauts’ sense of thirst. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026

Adverb

Indeed, in the same study, the researchers found that the more related to bodily functions a word was—or the more similar in meaning to moist a word was (say, wet or damp)—the more likely it also was rated high on aversive scales by the same people who found moist unpleasant. —Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

But the novel’s achievement is that we are forced to experience this insight almost bodily. —Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bodily

• caudally

Kids Definition

bodily

1 of 2 adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body : physical

bodily

2 of 2 adverb

1

: in the flesh : by the body

removed them bodily

2

: as a whole : entirely

Medical Definition

bodily

adjective

bodi·​ly ˈbäd-ᵊl-ē 

: of or relating to the body

bodily organs