lowly

1 of 2

adjective

low·​ly ˈlō-lē How to pronounce lowly (audio)
lowlier; lowliest
1
: not lofty or grand : commonplace, ordinary
Paella, once the lowly meal of farmers … has indeed evolved into a very sumptuous one-dish meal …Georgina R. Encanto
It's easy to overlook the lowly alphabet book.Ivan Kreilkamp
2
: low in order of importance, value, or esteem
a lowly task
… the game didn't match even the lowly expectations placed on it.Matthew DeFranks
I'm not talking about the mouthwatering and universally appreciated king or Spanish mackerel but their lowly cousin, the commonly derided Atlantic mackerel …W. Hodding Carter
3
: having or being a low rank in some hierarchy
a lowly private in the army
their lowly ranking in the tournament
often, specifically : of or relating to a low social or economic rank
lowly peasants
"Now there's a highborn name for a lowly lad," the woman said. Avi
4
: low in a scale of evolution or development
Consider the lowly roundworm. By manipulating the genes of a species of nematode, Thomas Johnson of the University of Colorado has already doubled its puny 30-day life span.Richard I. Kirkland Jr.
5
: humble in manner or spirit : free from self-assertive pride
Is it compatible with a self-denying, meek, and lowly heart?The New Englander (New Haven, Connecticut)
lowliness noun
Although the institution had many notable patrons such as Dickens the foundlings were constantly reminded of their lowliness. Ciara Dossett

lowly

2 of 2

adverb

1
: not loudly
Dr. Park began to speak lowly, and in Korean, at Sally and Eunice.Gary Shteyngart
2
: in a humble or meek manner
bowed lowly
3
: in a low position, manner, or degree
lowly rated products
… the great elephant makes us a bow in the best style of elephantine courtesy, bending lowly down his mountain bulk …Nathaniel Hawthorne

Examples of lowly in a Sentence

Adjective He was working as a lowly clerk. He resented his lowly status. Adverb lowly bowing before his king, he accepted his knighthood
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
From there, the lowly jockstrap found massive success as the men's underwear industry grew. Leanne Italie, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 One man, a lowly gofer, testified that he and others were instructed to get cleaning supplies and pick up the mutilated corpses, which were stuffed into plastic garbage bags. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Rosanne Barr screeched her way through the song ahead of a game between the lowly San Diego Padres and the soon to be World Series champion Cincinatti Reds, ending the performance by spitting and grabbing her crotch. James Powel, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 The Warriors head to Manhattan to play the Knicks tonight after beating the lowly Wizards Tuesday despite a dismal night from Curry. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 Following those two contests against playoff contenders, Milwaukee has a home-and-home against the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The methods that propelled you from a lowly count to the ruler of many kingdoms may not serve you well as emperor. Barry Collins, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 What about the holiday weekend, when Allen narrowly beat the lowly Chargers and backup quarterback Easton Stick, 24-22, on Dec. 23 before Jackson threw for 252 yards and two scores in a 33-19 over the NFC-leading 49ers on Christmas night? C.j. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024 Marcus Foligno snapped a third-period tie and Filip Gustavsson made 20 saves, sending the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 victory over Nick Foligno and the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Jay Cohen, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024
Adverb
William Day was a lowly young fourth lieutenant when the deaths of his superior officers gave him command of a ship stranded in the Arctic ice. Alida Becker, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024 Stevens’ heroics snapped a two-game CSU losing streak and, more importantly, spared the locals watching a second straight overtime defeat to lowly AFA — NCAA NET ranking as of Tuesday morning: 239th in the country — on Plum Street. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Outside, plant the two-foot-tall perennial near the border’s front in well-draining, lowly fertile soil. Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024 Swap out your regular light bulbs for a lower wattage, install a dimmer or a wall sconce that is intentionally lowly lit. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 21 July 2023 The Giants offense has been pretty lowly lately, but that hasn't stopped San Francisco from rattling off a bunch of wins to remain afloat in the playoff race. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 17 July 2023 In Bihar, that means a government job, no matter how lowly. Hari Kumar Atul Loke, New York Times, 28 June 2023 That being said, there have been a few undrafted -- or lowly drafted -- players who have made an impact in Indy. Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 29 May 2023 Nothing embraces those dramatic changes like the butterfly, shifting from a lowly crawling caterpillar to the colorful winged pollinator that brings beauty and whimsy to the outdoors. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 15 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lowly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of lowly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lowly

Cite this Entry

“Lowly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lowly. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lowly

1 of 2 adverb
low·​ly ˈlō-lē How to pronounce lowly (audio)
1
: in a humble or meek manner
2
: in a low position, manner, or degree
3
: not loudly

lowly

2 of 2 adjective
lowlier; lowliest
1
2
: of low rank or position
lowliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lowly

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