What does "lordly" mean?
Of or relating to a lord.
Lordly
/ˈlɔː(ɹ)dli/ adj, adv
adj, adv ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Of or relating to a lord.
- Grammar: lordly is listed as adj, adv.
- Nearest alternatives: haughty, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic.
- Useful contrasts: egalitarian, humble, modern.
- Usage evidence: The only evidence of the once stately pile of Castra Regis and its inhabitants was a shapeless huddle of shattered architecture, dimly seen as the keen breeze swept aside the cloud of acrid smoke which marked the site of the once lordly castle.
How to use "lordly"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lordly" 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 "lordly" 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 "lordly" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lordly" 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 "lordly" is acting as adj, adv 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 "haughty" 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 "lordly", 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
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to a lord.
"Show us your lordly might: demonstrate that you can order people and get them to obey."
- 2 Alternative form of lordly. alt-of, alternative
- 3 Having the qualities of a lord; lordlike; noble
"Deep, indeed, / Their debt of thanks to her who first had dared / To leap the rotten pales of prejudice, / Disyoke their necks from custom, and assert / None lordlier than themselves but that which made / Woman and man."
- 4 Appropriate for, or suitable to, a lord; glorious.
"He asked water, and she gaue him milke, shee brought forth butter in a lordly dish."
- 5 Proud; haughty; imperious; insolent.
"Lords are Lordlieſt in thir wine; […]"
Adjective
- 1 of or befitting a lord wordnet
- 2 having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy wordnet
Adverb
- 1 In the manner of a lord. Showing command or nobility.
"1891, Sir Edwin Arnold, The Light of the World: Or, The Great Consummation, Book I — “Mary Magdalene”, Funk & Wagnalls, page 56, […] / And Herod's painted pinnaces, ablaze / With lamps, and brazen shields and spangled slaves, / Came and went lordly at Tiberias; / […]"
Antonyms
Example
"The only evidence of the once stately pile of Castra Regis and its inhabitants was a shapeless huddle of shattered architecture, dimly seen as the keen breeze swept aside the cloud of acrid smoke which marked the site of the once lordly castle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lordly"?
Common synonyms include: haughty, absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, affected, arbitrary.
How do you use "lordly" in a sentence?
The only evidence of the once stately pile of Castra Regis and its inhabitants was a shapeless huddle of shattered architecture, dimly seen as the keen breeze swept aside the cloud of acrid smoke which marked the site of the once lordly castle.
How do you pronounce "lordly"?
Pronounced /ˈlɔː(ɹ)dli/.
Etymology
From Middle English lordly, lordlich, from Old English hlāfordlīċ (“lordly; heroic; noble”), equivalent to lord + -ly. The adverb is from Middle English lordly, lordely, lordliche.