Dictionary

goodly en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈɡʊdli/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *gadanąvṛd. Proto-Germanic *gōdaz Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *gōdalīkaz Proto-West Germanic *gōdalīk Old English gōdlīċ Middle English goodlich English goodly From Middle English goodly, goodlich, gōdlich, from Old English gōdlīċ (“good, goodly”), from Proto-West Germanic *gōdalīk, from Proto-Germanic *gōdalīkaz (“good, goodly”); equivalent to good + -ly. Cognate with Dutch goedelijk, goelijk (“harmless, benign”), German gütlich (“friendly”), Icelandic góðlegur (“benign”).

Meanings

1. (dated) Good; pleasing in appearance; attractive; comely; graceful; pleasant; desirable.
   • The diuell can cite Scripture for his purpoſe, / An euill ſoule producing holy witneſſe, / Is like a villaine with a ſmiling cheeke, / A goodly apple rotten at the heart. / O what a goodly outſide falſehood hath. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 166:
   • Then the prince left her and betook himself to the palace of the King his father, who rejoiced in his return and met him and welcomed him; and the Prince said to him, "Know that I have left her without the city in such a garden and come to tell thee, that thou mayst make ready the procession of estate and go forth to meet her and show her the royal dignity and troops and guards." Answered the King, "With joy and gladness"; and straightway bade decorate the town with the goodliest adornment. 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night:
   • O Sin, thou knowest that all thy shame in her Was made a goodly thing. 1866, Algernon Charles Swinburne, “A Ballad of Death”, in Poems and Ballads, lines 26–27:
   • Her goodly thighs, whoſe glory did appear, / Like a triumphal Arch,[…] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
2. Quite large; considerable; sufficient; adequate; more than enough.
   • I am glad I brought a goodly supply of needlework with me. It's about all there is to do. 2014, Lael R. Neill, Sand Island Diaries:
   • a goodly sum of money
   • walking at a goodly pace
   • Like any kid who played a game or two in school, I happened early on a golden rule: if I ate a goodly amount, I had better wait a goodly time before starting play—at least half an hour, preferably more. 2014, Dilip D’souza, Final Test:
   • After stopping at these stations, my train has become busy. Returning day-trippers make up a goodly number, along with young people heading for a night out in Bristol, which is where I change once again. 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 66:

Forms

Deriveds

goodlihead · goodliness · goodlihood · ungoodly

goodly en · ADV · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈɡʊdli/

Etymology

From Middle English goodly, goodliche, gōdliche, from Old English gōdlīċe (“goodly”), from the adjective; equivalent to good + -ly. Cognate with Middle High German guotlīche, güetlīche.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) In a goodly way; courteously, graciously.
   • Goodly she entertaind those noble knights, / And brought them vp into her castle hall […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
   • Thenne he sente for the thre knyghtes & they came afore hym / and he cryed hem mercy of that he had done to them / and they forgaf hit hym goodely and he dyed anone 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xxij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XVII:
2. (dialectal, obsolete) Well; excellently.
   • For love of vertue and of martial praise; To which though nobly ye inclined are, (As goodlie well ye shew'd in late assaies) a. 1599, Edmund Spenser, To the Earle of Cumberland:
   • I know doin' marriage is tough and hard to pull off for a long time, but from what I has been led to believe, you two was doin' it quite goodly. As goodly as a huntin' shootin' fishin' filmin' drinkin' Englishy can do with a gyratin' pumpin' singin' lookin' wearinv Yankee-doodle icon. It was seemin' to be good together. 2011, Dawn French, Dear Fatty:

Forms