lovely

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Beautiful or very attractive to look at or listen to.

   Grammar: Before a noun or after be: a lovely garden, the garden is lovely.

   Patterns

   • lovely to look at

   You look lovely in that dress.

   What a lovely garden you have!

   She has a lovely singing voice.

2. 2adjectivecomparableBritish

   Very enjoyable, pleasant or kind.

   Grammar: A warm, general word of approval, especially in British English: a lovely day.

   Patterns

   • lovely to do something

   We had a lovely evening with old friends.

   It was lovely to hear from you.

   Your neighbors seem lovely.

3. 3nouncountableold-fashioned

   A beautiful woman.

   Grammar: Old-fashioned and now sounding patronizing: avoid it in modern use.

   In the old film, the hero is surrounded by lovelies in sparkling dresses.

Word forms

Common combinations

lovely weather

We had lovely weather for the picnic.

lovely and warm

The room was lovely and warm.

lovely to see you

It's lovely to see you again.

a lovely surprise

The flowers were a lovely surprise.

lovely smell

There was a lovely smell of fresh bread.

Synonyms and how they differ

beautiful

Is stronger and more formal, describing striking beauty rather than general pleasantness.

delightful

Suggests something that gives pleasure and charm, and is a bit more formal.

pleasant

Is milder and less warm than lovely.

charming

Stresses attractive manners or appeal, often of a person or place.

Opposites

Word family

loveliness noun

the quality of being lovely

love noun

deep affection, the root of the word

Commonly confused: lovely or lovable?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “lovely”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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