Gradely

//ˈɡɹeɪdlɪ// adj, adv

adj, adv ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    decent, well-meaning, respectable Northern-England

    "My work has meant travelling the world over, to great places and small, but home to me always means Rochdale and its gradely folk."

  2. 2
    excellent

    "Yo're well off to ha' Betsy Ogden comin' in; she's a gradely worker."

  3. 3
    handsome, fair

    "This is a hard road for a gradely foot like that. Will ye up, lass, and ride behind me?"

  4. 4
    real, proper
Adverb
  1. 1
    properly, really
  2. 2
    readily, speedily UK, obsolete, regional

Example

More examples

"My work has meant travelling the world over, to great places and small, but home to me always means Rochdale and its gradely folk."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From earlier graithly, from Middle English graythely, greiþli, greiðlic, from Old Norse greiðligr, equivalent to graith + -ly.

Etymology 2

From earlier graithly, from Middle English graythely, graydly, graitheli, graithlich, grathliche, graythelyche, from Old Norse greiðliga, equivalent to graith + -ly.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.