Language/English/Grammar/Adjectives-ending-in-ly

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In English, as many adverbs often end in -ly, adjectives ending in -ly can easily get mistaken for adverbs. This article aims to provide a comprehensive list of such adjectives, helping you to better understand and master the use of these unique words. In the list below, you will find many adjectives ending in -ly (a few of them can be both adjectives and adverbs).

As a general rule, words deriving from [adjective] + -ly are adverbs, while words deriving from [noun] + -ly are adjectives.

So, let's dive into the world of "-ly" adjectives! 📚

After exploring this lesson, you may also find it helpful to consult other related pages, just to name a few, such as Although vs. Even though, Tips for Using Adjectives, and Common Mistakes with 'What' and 'That'.

List of adjectives ending in -ly[edit | edit source]

A[edit | edit source]

  • authorly
  • angrily

B[edit | edit source]

  • beastly
  • bodily
  • bristly
  • brotherly
  • bubbly
  • burly

C[edit | edit source]

  • chilly
  • comely
  • costly
  • courtly
  • cowardly
  • Crassly
  • crinkly
  • crumbly
  • cuddly
  • curly

D[edit | edit source]

  • daily (Can also be an adverb)
  • dastardly
  • deadly
  • deathly
  • disorderly

E[edit | edit source]

  • early
  • earthly
  • easterly
  • elderly

F[edit | edit source]

  • fatherly
  • fortnightly (Can also be an adverb)
  • friendly
  • frilly

G[edit | edit source]

  • gangly
  • gentlemanly
  • ghastly
  • ghostly
  • giggly
  • godly
  • goodly
  • gravelly
  • Greatly
  • grisly

H[edit | edit source]

  • heavenly
  • hilly
  • holy
  • homely
  • hourly
  • housekeeperly
  • humanly
  • husbandly

J[edit | edit source]

  • jiggly
  • jolly

K[edit | edit source]

  • kindly (can also be an adverb)
  • kingly
  • Kingly

L[edit | edit source]

  • leisurely
  • likely
  • lively
  • logically
  • lonely
  • lovely
  • lowly
  • luckily

M[edit | edit source]

  • maidenly
  • manly
  • mannerly
  • masterly
  • matronly
  • mealy
  • measly
  • melancholy
  • miserly
  • monthly (Can also be an adverb)
  • motherly

N[edit | edit source]

  • neighbourly
  • nightly
  • north easterly
  • northerly
  • north-westerly

O[edit | edit source]

  • oily
  • only
  • orderly
  • otherworldly

P[edit | edit source]

  • painterly
  • pearly
  • pebbly
  • pimply
  • poorly
  • Portly
  • priestly
  • princely
  • premeditatedly
  • physically

Q[edit | edit source]

  • quarterly
  • queenly

R[edit | edit source]

  • rumbly

S[edit | edit source]

  • saintly
  • scaly
  • scholarly
  • shapely
  • sickly
  • silly
  • sisterly
  • slatternly
  • slovenly
  • sly
  • smelly
  • southerly
  • sparkly
  • spindly
  • sprightly
  • squiggly
  • stately
  • Stately
  • swiftly (can also be an adverb)

T[edit | edit source]

  • timely
  • treacly

U[edit | edit source]

  • ugly
  • unearthly
  • unfriendly
  • ungainly
  • unlikely
  • unruly
  • unseemly
  • unsightly
  • untimely
  • unworldly

V[edit | edit source]

W[edit | edit source]

  • weekly (Can also be an adverb)
  • westerly
  • wifely
  • wily
  • wobbly
  • womanly
  • woolly
  • worldly
  • wriggly
  • wrinkly

Y[edit | edit source]

  • yearly (can also be an adverb)

What is an adjective?[edit | edit source]

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun. Adjectives may come before the word they change.

  • Example: "It is a cute dog."

Adjectives may also follow the word they modify:

  • Example: "That cat looks nice."

What is an adverb?[edit | edit source]

An adverb is a word that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Adverbs answer how, when, where, why, or to what extent—how often or how much (e.g., daily, completely).

  • Examples: "He walks slowly" (tells how)

How to change an adjective ending in -ly into an adverb?[edit | edit source]

Many adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding the ending -ly:

  • beautiful becomes beautifully
  • bad become badly

However, adjectives ending in -ly cannot be turned into adverbs by adding -ly.

In most cases, the adjective form and adverb form of adjectives ending in "-ly" are the same.

Here are some examples:

  • kindly (adjective and adverb)
  • lovely (adjective and adverb)
  • friendly (adjective and adverb)
  • lonely (adjective and adverb)

So, to change an adjective ending in "-ly" into an adverb, you don't need to add or change anything, simply use the same word.

You can also use a different structure like in the example below :

  • lovely becomes in a lovely way.

Authors[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

https://polyglotclub.com/language/english/question/35524


Other Lessons[edit | edit source]