saintly en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈseɪntli/
Etymology
From Middle English *saintli (suggested by seyntly (adverb)), equivalent to saint + -ly. Compare saintlike.
Meanings
-
Like or characteristic of a saint; befitting a holy person; saintlike.
Since my sother is nothing short of saintly, she fetches me daily from work and transports me here and there.
1983 August 6, Nancy Walker, “Odyssey of a Unicorn”, in Gay Community News, page 17:She met more than a quarter of all the American presidents who have ever lived, five popes, hundreds of national leaders, from the saintly, such as Nelson Mandela, to the tyrannical, including Robert Mugabe and Nicolae Ceausescu[…]
2022 September 8, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian:Sophie led a saintly life.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| saintliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| saintlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
saintlihood · supersaintly · saintlily · saintliness · unsaintly