lovelier; loveliest
1
: delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace : attractive
She looks lovely in that dress.
3
: eliciting love by moral or ideal worth
A lovely woman who loves him for himself, not for his money.
4
obsolete
: lovable
Synonyms
Adjective
- A-OK
- A1
- awesome
- bang-up
- banner
- beautiful
- blue-chip
- blue-ribbon
- boffo
- bonny [chiefly British]
- bonnie
- boss [slang]
- brag
- brave
- bully
- bumper
- capital
- choice
- classic
- cool [slang]
- corking
- crackerjack
- cracking
- dandy
- divine
- dope [slang]
- down [slang]
- dynamite
- excellent
- fab
- fabulous
- famous
- fantabulous [slang]
- fantastic
- fine
- first-class
- first-rate
- first-string
- five-star
- four-star
- frontline
- gangbusters
- gangbuster
- gilt-edged
- gilt-edge
- gone [slang]
- grand
- great
- groovy
- heavenly
- high-class
- hot
- hype [slang]
- immense
- jim-dandy
- keen
- marvelous
- marvellous
- mean
- neat
- nifty
- noble
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- out-of-sight [slang]
- par excellence
- peachy
- peachy keen
- phat [slang]
- prime
- primo [slang]
- prize
- prizewinning
- quality
- radical [slang]
- righteous [slang]
- sensational
- slick
- splendid
- stellar
- sterling
- superb
- superior
- superlative
- supernal
- swell
- terrific
- tip-top
- top
- top-notch
- top-of-the-line
- top-shelf
- topflight
- topping [chiefly British]
- unsurpassed
- wizard [chiefly British]
- wonderful
Examples of lovely in a Sentence
Adjective
She was wearing a lovely dress.
a lovely bouquet of flowers
The song has a lovely melody.
The hotel has a lovely view.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner.
a singer with a lovely voice
Their children have lovely manners.
How lovely of you to come!
It was lovely to have you here!
Noun
A chorus line of young lovelies danced on the stage.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2023
Jeff is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who possesses a lovely, gentle singing voice.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
The result is a lovely outdoor tabletop display that's easy to move around as needed.
—Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2023
Following the lovely opening, three contemporary choreographic creations followed.
—Vogue, 24 Sep. 2023
Miller says February and March are lovely, too, as spring begins and the flowers start to bloom.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2023
Nobody ever says anything negative in person, so that’s always lovely.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023
While the redbud's typical yellow fall color can be perfectly lovely, there is one selection with exciting color that transforms throughout the year.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes, that meant a spectacular pass, such as his 52-yard strike to rookie Zay Flowers that split two defenders or his lovely 17-yard teardrop to Nelson Agholor for the deciding touchdown.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2023
Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023
Serve these layered lovelies in old-fashioned glasses to make the treat extra special.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2023
The first flowering of the reblooming variety of these perennial lovelies is in June.
—Erynn Hassinger, Country Living, 22 Apr. 2023
No, Colin Frissell hooking up with the three lovelies in Wisconsin.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019
The vegetables: Along with the summer lovelies mentioned above, some people get all crazy and put mushrooms in their ratatouille.
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Aug. 2019
Here are some of the lovelies that were arrested recently -- the Berkeley deal.
—Fox News, 29 Aug. 2018
Scott Rubin was asked to write jokes for National Lampoon’s Strip Poker, a witless pay-per-view series featuring Kaelin and a group of lovelies (including Olivia Munn, then known as Lisa) at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Jamaica.
—Benjamin Wallace, HWD, 1 May 2017
The Observer resolved then and there to award these two lovelies his first Mellow MoonPie award, for grit and glimmer in the face of death.
—The Masked Observer, AL.com, 31 Jan. 2018
See More
Adjective
Featuring a lovely stone exterior and blue shutters, the stately Colonial-style residence offers stunning views of the Long Island Sound, a sparkling 72-foot infinity pool and pool house, formal gardens, plus a private boat dock.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2023
Jeff is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who possesses a lovely, gentle singing voice.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
The result is a lovely outdoor tabletop display that's easy to move around as needed.
—Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Sep. 2023
Following the lovely opening, three contemporary choreographic creations followed.
—Vogue, 24 Sep. 2023
Miller says February and March are lovely, too, as spring begins and the flowers start to bloom.
—Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2023
Nobody ever says anything negative in person, so that’s always lovely.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2023
While the redbud's typical yellow fall color can be perfectly lovely, there is one selection with exciting color that transforms throughout the year.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023
Sometimes, that meant a spectacular pass, such as his 52-yard strike to rookie Zay Flowers that split two defenders or his lovely 17-yard teardrop to Nelson Agholor for the deciding touchdown.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
But don’t despair, my scarred and scarring lovelies.
—Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023
Serve these layered lovelies in old-fashioned glasses to make the treat extra special.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2023
The first flowering of the reblooming variety of these perennial lovelies is in June.
—Erynn Hassinger, Country Living, 22 Apr. 2023
No, Colin Frissell hooking up with the three lovelies in Wisconsin.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019
The vegetables: Along with the summer lovelies mentioned above, some people get all crazy and put mushrooms in their ratatouille.
—James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Aug. 2019
Here are some of the lovelies that were arrested recently -- the Berkeley deal.
—Fox News, 29 Aug. 2018
Scott Rubin was asked to write jokes for National Lampoon’s Strip Poker, a witless pay-per-view series featuring Kaelin and a group of lovelies (including Olivia Munn, then known as Lisa) at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Jamaica.
—Benjamin Wallace, HWD, 1 May 2017
The Observer resolved then and there to award these two lovelies his first Mellow MoonPie award, for grit and glimmer in the face of death.
—The Masked Observer, AL.com, 31 Jan. 2018
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lovely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing lovely
Dictionary Entries Near lovely
Cite this Entry
“Lovely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lovely. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
lovely
adjective
love·ly
ˈləv-lē
lovelier; loveliest
1
: gracefully or delicately attractive
a lovely dress
2
: beautiful in character
3
: highly pleasing : fine
a lovely view
loveliness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on lovely
Nglish: Translation of lovely for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of lovely for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
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