seemly en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈsiːmli/
Etymology
From Middle English semly, semely, semelich, from Old Norse sœmiligr (“seemly”); equivalent to seem + -ly. Cognate with Icelandic sæmilegur (“seemly, passable”), Danish sømmelig (“seemly”).
Meanings
-
Of behavior, appropriate; suited to the occasion or purpose; becoming.
I am a woman, lacking wit / To make a seemly answer to such persons.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:[…] every six months she strapped on her sword and armor, and rode off in a confusion of gleaming strangers. […] When Mama came home the strangers came with her, and so did more money than was really seemly.
2017, Ada Hoffmann, Monsters in My Mind, page 24Suspense of judgment and exercise of charity were safer and seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of these controversies.
[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):His behavior was seemly, as befits a gentleman.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| seemliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| seemlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
seemliness · seemlihood · seemlily · seemlihead · seemlyhood
Synonyms
Translations (36)
enm seme (appropriate) · cs slušný (appropriate) · nl correct (appropriate) · cs patřičný (appropriate) · nl gepast (appropriate) · bg пристоен (appropriate) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍉𐍆 (appropriate) · bg подобаващ (appropriate) · fi sovelias (appropriate) · eo konvena (appropriate) · kmr meqbûl (appropriate) · pdt sitlich (appropriate) · pt decente (appropriate) · de gesittet (appropriate) · de angebracht (appropriate) · pl odpowiedni (appropriate) · es ubicado (appropriate) · de korrekt (appropriate) · es adecuado (appropriate) · de anständig (appropriate) · pl właściwy (appropriate) · hy պատշաճ (appropriate) · enm semly (appropriate) · it decente (appropriate) · cs vhodný (appropriate) · de passend (appropriate) · pt adequado (appropriate) · pl stosowny (appropriate) · es decente (appropriate) · de schicklich (appropriate) · sv passande (appropriate) · de angemessen (appropriate) · nl passend (appropriate) · nl fatsoenlijk (appropriate) · de vernünftig (appropriate) · kmr maqûl (appropriate)