Difference between revisions of "Language/English/Grammar/Adjectives-ending-in-ly"

Latest revision as of 15:17, 16 March 2025

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."

Verbs where an adjective ("nice") describes the subject ("That cat") are known as stative verbs. It is the action

of the verb which gives the subject its attribute described by the adjective. Common stative verbs include "to be",

"to become", "to smell" and "to feel".

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)

In this case, the adverb ("slowly") describes the action ("how") of the verb ("to walk").

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]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:adjectives-ending-in-LY.jpg|thumb]]
-In English, as many '''adverbs''' often end in -ly, '''adjectives''' ending in -ly can easily get mistaken for adverbs. In the list below you will find many adjectives ending in -ly (a few of them can be both adjectives and adverbs):
+[[File:English-Language-PolyglotClub.jpg|thumb]]
+In English, as many '''[[Language/English/Grammar/Adverbs-of-Degree|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 <code>[adjective] + -ly</code> are adverbs, while words deriving from <code>[noun] + -ly</code> 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 [[Language/English/Grammar/Although-VS-Even-though|Although vs. Even though]], [[Language/English/Grammar/How-Some-pointers-when-using-Adjectives|Tips for Using Adjectives]], and [[Language/English/Grammar/Common-Mistake-What-That|Common Mistakes with 'What' and 'That']].
 __NOTOC__
 ==List of adjectives ending in -ly==
 ===A===
 *authorly
+*angrily
 ===B===
 *beastly
@@ Line 34: / Line 43: @@
 *easterly
 *elderly
 ===F===
 *fatherly
@@ Line 50: / Line 60: @@
 *Greatly
 *grisly
 ===H===
 *heavenly
@@ Line 60: / Line 71: @@
 *husbandly
 ===J===
+*jiggly
 *jolly
 ===K===
-*kindly
+*kindly (can also be an adverb)
 *kingly
 *Kingly
@@ Line 69: / Line 81: @@
 *likely
 *lively
+*logically
 *lonely
 *lovely
 *lowly
+*luckily
 ===M===
 *maidenly
@@ Line 85: / Line 100: @@
 *motherly
 ===N===
-*neighborly
+*neighbourly
 *nightly
-*northeasterly
+*north easterly
 *northerly
-*northwesterly
+*north-westerly
 ===O===
 *oily
@@ Line 104: / Line 119: @@
 *priestly
 *princely
+*premeditatedly
+*physically
 ===Q===
 *quarterly
 *queenly
 ===R===
-*rumply
+*rumbly
 ===S===
 *saintly
@@ Line 128: / Line 146: @@
 *stately
 *Stately
-*steely
+*swiftly (can also be an adverb)
-*surly
 ===T===
 *timely
@@ Line 145: / Line 163: @@
 *unworldly
 ===V===
-*vastly
 ===W===
 *weekly (Can also be an adverb)
@@ Line 161: / Line 178: @@
 ==What is an adjective?==
-An adjective is a word that '''modifies a noun'''. Adjectives may come '''before''' the word they change.
+An adjective is a word that '''modifies a [[Language/English/Grammar/Nouns|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."
+Verbs where an adjective ("nice") describes the subject ("That cat") are known as '''stative verbs'''. It is the action
+of the verb which gives the subject its attribute described by the adjective. Common stative verbs include "to be",
+"to become", "to smell" and "to feel".
 ==What is an adverb?==
-An adverb is a word that '''modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.'''
+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)
+In this case, the adverb ("slowly") describes the action ("how") of the verb ("to walk").
 == How to change an adjective ending in -ly into an adverb? ==
@@ Line 180: / Line 203: @@
 *'''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:
-However, '''adjectives ending in -ly cannot be turned into adverbs by adding -ly.'''
+* 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 need to use '''a different structure''' like in the example below :
+You can also use '''a different structure''' like in the example below :
 *'''lovely''' becomes '''in a lovely way'''.
 ==Authors==
-[https://polyglotclub.com/member/m7mdnasser m7mdnasser]
+* [https://polyglotclub.com/member/m7mdnasser m7mdnasser]
+* [https://polyglotclub.com/member/_Julitka_ _Julitka_]
-[https://polyglotclub.com/member/_Julitka_ _Julitka_]
+==Sources==
+https://polyglotclub.com/language/english/question/35524
@@ Line 203: / Line 238: @@
 [[Category:English/Intermediate]]
 [[Category:English/Grammar]]
+==Other Lessons==
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/Common-Mistake-What-That|Common Mistake What That]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/Count-noun|Count noun]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/POSSESSIVE-PRONOUNS|POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/At:-place|At: place]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/GERUNDS|GERUNDS]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/On:-place|On: place]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/ADJECTIVES|ADJECTIVES]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/How-Do-Silent-Letters-Work?|How Do Silent Letters Work?]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/Difference-between-Mood-Tense-Voice|Difference between Mood Tense Voice]]
+* [[Language/English/Grammar/Adverbs-of-Degree|Adverbs of Degree]]
+<span links></span>