Meaning & use
comely
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableold-fashionedliterary
Pleasant to look at in a simple, wholesome way.
Grammar: Used about people, especially women, in older writing.
The novel describes a comely farmer's daughter.
She was a comely woman with a kind smile.
The comely cottage sat by the river.
adjectivecomparablearchaic
Proper and fitting.
Grammar: Archaic; describes behavior that is suitable.
It is not comely to boast.
He showed comely manners.
They behaved in a comely fashion.
Word forms
| comparative | comelier |
|---|---|
| superlative | comeliest |
Common combinations
- comely maiden
- The ballad mentions a comely maiden.
- comely appearance
- He had a comely appearance.
- comely face
- She had a comely face.
- comely lass
- The poet praised a comely lass.
- comely and modest
- She was comely and modest.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attractive
- Attractive is neutral and modern, while comely sounds dated.
- pretty
- Pretty is common and casual, while comely suggests quiet, modest charm.
- fair
- Fair is also literary and means beautiful or light-complexioned.
- handsome
- Handsome is usually for men and suggests strong features.
Opposites
Word family
- comeliness noun
- quiet attractiveness
- becoming adjective
- suiting and flattering
- unseemly adjective
- not proper
Commonly confused: comely or homely?
comely vs homely
Homely means plain in British English but can mean cozy elsewhere, and is not a synonym of comely.
Practice
Which word best fits an old story describing a modestly pretty girl?
Choose one answer.
Comely means pleasantly attractive in a modest way. Gaudy, grotesque and brash all have unattractive or loud meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comely”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.