godly

adjective

god·​ly ˈgäd-lē 

godlier; godliest

1

: divine

2

: pious, devout

godliness noun

godly adverb archaic

Synonyms of godly

• pious
• religious
• devout
• holy
• spiritual
• reverent

Examples of godly in a Sentence

She lived a godly life.

a godly and humble man who will be richly rewarded in the next world

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time, Rastinejad and her colleagues wondered whether a black hole’s gravity had ripped up a companion neutron star, as if unseen godly hands had pulled it apart like dough. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

This, the perfectly decent people of Kettleborough reasoned, was a natural and godly rebuke for Susan and Cuthbert’s sin. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

But the instances of godly intervention that run rampant in Homer’s poem are deliberately vague in Nolan’s telling, if not excised entirely. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026

The tour included real history and mythology, then also quests, cabins based on godly parents and skits. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for godly

• broadly
• oddly
• ungodly

Kids Definition

godly

adjective

god·​ly ˈgäd-lē 

also ˈgȯd-

godlier; godliest

: pious sense 1, devout

a godly person

godliness noun