What does "comely" mean?
To embellish or grace (something).
Comely
/ˈkʌmli/ adj, adv, verb
adj, adv, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To embellish or grace (something).
- Grammar: comely is listed as adj, adv, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: becoming, agreeable, amply endowed, appealing.
- Useful contrasts: improper, indecent, ugly.
- Usage evidence: Shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
How to use "comely"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "comely" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "comely" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "comely" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "comely" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "comely" is acting as adj, adv, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "becoming" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "comely", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To embellish or grace (something). literary, obsolete, poetic, rare, transitive
"One diligent seruiture, skilfull to waight, / more comelieth thy table than other some eight, / That stand for to listen, or gasing about, / not minding their dutie, within nor without."
Adjective
- 1 Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.; Of a person: attractive or pleasing to look at; beautiful, handsome; also, attractive but not particularly beautiful or handsome. literary, poetic
"a comely woman"
- 2 Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.; Of a person, an action, behaviour, etc.: meeting accepted moral or social norms; appropriate, becoming, proper. literary, poetic
"Doth any contumely vvhich vvee ſuſtaine for religions ſake pierce ſo deeply as […] vvhen they […] trample vnder foote almoſt vvhatſoeuer either vvee or the vvhole Church of God by the ſpace of ſo many ages haue beene accuſtomed vnto for the comlier and better exerciſe of our religion according to the ſoundeſt rules that vviſedome directed by the vvord of God and by long experience confirmed hath beene able vvith common aduice, vvith much deliberation and exceeding great diligence to comprehende; […]"
- 3 Attractive; visually pleasing; good-looking.; Of a thing: beautiful, elegant, well-composed; also, delicate, fine. literary, poetic
"In ſhootinge at the prickes, haſtye and quicke drawinge is neyther ſure nor yet comely."
- 4 Pleasing to the feelings or senses; agreeable, nice, pleasant. literary, obsolete, poetic
"Oh hovv comely it is and hovv reviving / To the Spirits of juſt men long oppreſt! / VVhen God into the hands of thir deliverer / Puts invincible might"
Adjective
- 1 very pleasing to the eye wordnet
- 2 according with custom or propriety wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Synonym of comelily (“in a comely manner: in an attractive or pleasing manner; in a manner which meets accepted moral or social norms”). archaic, literary, poetic
"So ſlides he dovvne vppon his greyned bat [i.e., a walking stick]; / And comely diſtant ſits he by her ſide, […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "comely"?
Common synonyms include: becoming, agreeable, amply endowed, appealing, appropriate, apt.
How do you use "comely" in a sentence?
Shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
How do you pronounce "comely"?
Pronounced /ˈkʌmli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The adjective is derived from Middle English comly, comli, cumly, cumlich (“of a person: beautiful, handsome, etc.; of noble birth, bearing, or character; of behaviour: appropriate, becoming; of an event: convenient; favourable; of a thing: beautiful, wonderful; fitting, proper”), from Old English cymlīċ, cȳmlīċ (“beautiful, comely; splendid; convenient”), from cȳme (“beautiful, comely; splendid; exquisite, fine”) + -līċ (suffix meaning ‘like; relating to’ forming adjectives). Cȳme is derived from Proto-Germanic *kūmiz (“delicate; feeble”), from *kūmalīkaz (“dear; pitiful”), probably related to *kūmaz, *kūmijaz (“pitiful; frail, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH- (“to call, name; to call on, invoke; to cry, cry out”). The word was influenced by come (verb). The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates Middle Dutch komelick, komlick Middle High German gomelīh, komelīh
Etymology 2
From Middle English comli, cumly, cumeliche (“beautifully, handsomely; gracefully; splendidly; fittingly, properly; well”), from Old English cȳme (adjective) (see etymology 1) + Middle English -li (suffix forming adverbs).