Word of the Day

: June 21, 2013

comely

adjective KUM-lee

What It Means

1 : pleasurably conforming to notions of good appearance, suitability, or proportion

2 : having a pleasing appearance : not homely or plain

comely in Context

The audition was filled with comely young men and women hoping to be the next face of the fashion industry.

"The woman in black is an assassin, and, although he has no idea why, Langdon is her target. He's on the run before he's even fully conscious, helped by one of his doctors, Sienna Brooks, a comely young blond with a genius IQ and a shadowy past." - From a book review by Colette Bancroft in the Tampa Bay Times (Florida), May 17, 2013

Did You Know?

Although "comely" is now typically used to describe the appearance of human beings, it was once used more broadly of other appealing things, such as fine clothing. "Comely" can be traced back to an Old English word meaning "lovely, glorious, or fine." If you're looking to pretty up your prose or poetry with additional words meaning "beautiful," English is well-supplied with them. Aside from "beautiful" itself, we have "lovely," "handsome," "pretty," "fair," "good-looking," "gorgeous," "ravishing," and even "well-favored."