1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
one dinner guest was a little lordly about her status as a vegetarian, even asking the other diners how they could bear to eat dead animals
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2
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
his lordly attitude toward people who enjoy popular music
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3
as in noble
having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature
born to great wealth, he has always displayed a lordly generosity toward the less fortunate
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Recent Examples of lordly
But the cruelty and callousness of the lordly class infuses it all.
—
Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024
The surge ended in the World Series, the lordly Yankees winning in six games, but Mays was on his way and Durocher gave him full credit.
—Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022
The portrait of Markram that ultimately emerges is of a lordly sovereign stalking the halls of an island mansion, an autumn of the scientific patriarch.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2022
From 1958 to 1961, sulking Giants and Dodgers fans had to put up with the lordly Yankees winning three pennants and two World Series.
—New York Times, 23 Mar. 2022
The lordly African lion in his zoo grotto will cast a sentimental glance at his shaggy mate.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2022
The latest entry in the MCU picked up $90.7 million internationally, which pushes its global total to a lordly $161.7 million.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Nov. 2021
Player for player Atlanta shouldn’t be scaring the lordly Dodgers like this.
—Ray Glier, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021
Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024
The surge ended in the World Series, the lordly Yankees winning in six games, but Mays was on his way and Durocher gave him full credit.
—Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
What comes next is a showdown between her force and his financial clout, between labor and the lordly class.
—Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022
The portrait of Markram that ultimately emerges is of a lordly sovereign stalking the halls of an island mansion, an autumn of the scientific patriarch.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2022
From 1958 to 1961, sulking Giants and Dodgers fans had to put up with the lordly Yankees winning three pennants and two World Series.
—New York Times, 23 Mar. 2022
The lordly African lion in his zoo grotto will cast a sentimental glance at his shaggy mate.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2022
The latest entry in the MCU picked up $90.7 million internationally, which pushes its global total to a lordly $161.7 million.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Nov. 2021
Player for player Atlanta shouldn’t be scaring the lordly Dodgers like this.
—Ray Glier, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lordly
Adjective
-
Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later.—
Jenny Peters,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The most radical overhaul of the tax code in our state’s history would require voter approval in November 2026, and that starts by portraying local governments as cartoonishly arrogant, bloated and unaccountable.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
The proud West End native's work at Cincinnati Preschool Promise goes above and beyond her job description.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The judge relented in the face of his daughter’s determination, perhaps more than a little proud of her patriotic pluck.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
By sincerely comforting and relying on each other, their love becomes noble.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Like the book, the show is predicated on a classic Gilded Age bargain: American heiresses fill the dwindling coffers of the British peerage; correspondingly eligible dukes and lords bestow a noble title that papers over a nouveau-riche designation.—
Elle Carroll,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a reason for that; Canadian arenas have superior sightlines for cameras that deliver those moving images through the videoscope.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
The Pura 80 Ultra features a large 1-inch sensor, variable aperture, and dual-periscope zoom system, delivering superior image quality.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Stories of haughty people scheming and plucky servants improving alarm clocks attract smaller audiences than, say, trench warfare.—
Elle Carroll,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
-
The haughty mother of Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) feigns surprise that Mrs. Scott and her daughter, Peggy (Denée Brown), are still attending the ball.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Moving forward, the team hopes to compile even higher resolution observations from JWST.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Paramount settled for $16 million, to go to Trump’s future presidential library, but Trump later claimed that the sum was higher, with an additional $16 million in PSAs and ads.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In Trump’s first term, U.S. allies quickly learned that the president was cavalier about classified information.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
-
In the video, the cavalier King Charles left people in stitches with her dramatic howls.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Bertha was right, George is being a jerk, and Larry needs to wipe that smug smile off his face.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
-
And no scripture condones the smug enjoyment of it.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lordly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lordly. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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