1
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
a tycoon who struggled all his life to overcome his lowly origins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meek
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
the nuns at the convent regard themselves as lowly servants of the Lord
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in humbly
in a manner showing no signs of pride or self-assertion
lowly bowing before his king, he accepted his knighthood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lowly
Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Tottenham are ranked a lowly 11th for average possession share in the Premier League this season.
—Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Joe Reid, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
How decisive this win proves to be for Miami will be determined next week in the final round of games, when Inter is on the road at Nashville while Cincinnati is at home to lowly Montreal.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowly
Adjective
The Magic get another opportunity to record a win over a lowly Western Conference opponent at New Orleans on Sunday.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Tottenham are ranked a lowly 11th for average possession share in the Premier League this season.
—Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
Jay Kelly, despite sporting a lowly Metacritic score of 62 (out of 100), still feels like the Netflix film best positioned for a Best Picture nomination, if for no other reason than the Hollywood factor.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
How decisive this win proves to be for Miami will be determined next week in the final round of games, when Inter is on the road at Nashville while Cincinnati is at home to lowly Montreal.
—The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lowly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lowly
Adjective
-
Independent opinion polls show support for Fidesz has dropped to its lowest level in years.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Oilers scored on all three power-play chances in the best performance for that unit since Leon Draisaitl went down with a lower-body injury on March 15 after scoring with the man advantage early in that game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That included a meek loss in Toronto, with Murray not participating on the second night of a back-to-back following a blowout loss at Detroit.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The other, meek and mild-mannered.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Our journey began humbly in 1983 with high-stakes bingo.—
Cody J Martinez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The archbishop knocks on the door with a pastoral staff and humbly requests admission to the cathedral.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The spicy, savory kick of cowboy butter elevates a humble pan of sautéed meatballs into your family's new favorite dinner.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
-
So was exuding pride, even behind a humble hot dog stand, which was how his great-uncle Pat got his start.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But while many strategists still forecast at least a modest advance, investors are wary of a minefield of risks.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The short arms and modest testing cap the ceiling a bit, but the floor looks like a useful NFL backup with spot-starter appeal.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That was checkmate, as Martinez grounded out meekly to end the season.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Are members of Congress really supposed to sit meekly and quietly while the president uses the rostrum of their chamber to abuse and insult them in the ugliest language?—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This one is about a regular old guy, a hedge knight in the plebeian population of Westeros, just trying to get by in a world that isn't kind to the common and poor.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Below that sits the pedestrian CLK 500 and plebeian CLK 350.—
Jeremy Korzeniewski,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But her flame was dimmed for far too long by one ignoble record: having the longest streak in Daytime Emmys history of nominations without a win.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Here, however, Makowsky examines a purely ignoble figure who feels entitled without accomplishing a thing.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lowly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lowly. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
