When you think of words that end in -ly, you probably think of adverbs. This is because we typically form adverbs by adding -ly to an adjective: cheapLY, happiLY, quickLY, and so on.
But, there are actually many adjectives that end in -ly in the English language, and it’s this vocabulary that we will focus on today. Below you can find a list of 124 -ly adjectives, each with an example sentence to demonstrate how the word is used.
List of adjectives that end in -ly
This -ly adjectives list contains many common words such as ‘friendly’ and ‘lovely’, as well as some you may not know. It is by no means complete, but we have tried to include the most common adjectives ending in -ly that you will encounter in English.
We have omitted come compound variations such as ‘southeasterly’ and ‘semiquarterly’ to avoid too much repetition.
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Beastly | That was a beastly storm, wasn’t it? |
| Bimonthly | We’re going to schedule a bimonthly meeting to keep the project moving along. |
| Brotherly | We’ve always had a strong brotherly bond. |
| Bubbly | She’s known for her bubbly personality that brightens up any room. |
| Burly | You’ll be impressed by the burly bouncer at the entrance. |
| Chilly | The chilly air nipped at my cheeks as I stepped outside. |
| Comely | She’s wearing a comely dress that complements her elegance. |
| Costly | The artwork’s historical significance makes it quite a costly piece. |
| Cowardly | It’s cowardly to avoid taking responsibility for your actions. |
| Crinkly | The crinkly paper added a nice texture to the gift. |
| Crumbly | These crumbly cookies are delicious. |
| Crumply | After years of use, the map was crumply and unreadable in some places. |
| Cuddly | The cuddly puppy curled up in my lap for a nap. |
| Curly | Her hair, curly and wild, matched her free-spirited personality. |
| Daily | I make it a daily habit to go for a morning run. |
| Dastardly | The dastardly villain’s plans were foiled by the heroic actions of the team. |
| Deadly | He narrowly escaped the deadly grip of the bear. |
Some of these adjectives ending in -ly also appear on our list of confusing adverbs and adjectives.
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Deathly | The silence in the dark, deathly forest sent shivers down my spine. |
| Disorderly | The disorderly room needed a thorough cleaning. |
| Doolally | My uncle is a little doolally, but we all love him. |
| Early | We decided to take an early vacation this year. |
| Earthly | The earthly scent of pine welcomed us to the forest. |
| Easterly | The easterly winds bring a refreshing breeze to the coastline. |
| Eco-friendly | Our new eco-friendly packaging is better for the environment. |
| Elderly | My grandparents, both in their late 80s, are a happy elderly couple. |
| Fatherly | His fatherly advice guided me through life’s challenges. |
| Fortnightly | We receive fortnightly updates on our project’s progress. |
| Friendly | Her friendly smile put everyone at ease during the meeting. |
| Frilly | She wore a frilly dress to the formal event. |
| Frizzly | His hair, frizzly and full of life, matched his energetic personality. |
| Freckly | My freckly face gets more noticeable in the summertime. |
| Gangly | As a gangly teenager, I often felt awkward in my own body. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Gentlemanly | He has such a kind and gentlemanly character. |
| Ghastly | The ghastly scene left a lasting impression on all who witnessed it. |
| Ghostly | The ghostly figure seemed to glide silently through the mist. |
| Giggly | We couldn’t help but become giggly after seeing that funny video. |
| Godly | Her godly wisdom was sought after by those facing difficult decisions. |
| Girly | The girly decorations set the perfect tone for the birthday party. |
| Gravelly | His gravelly voice gives a unique texture to his singing. |
| Grumbly | Nobody wants to speak to the grumbly old man. |
| Grisly | The grisly scene made even the bravest investigator feel uneasy. |
| Heavenly | The heavenly aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen. |
| Hilly | Why did we decide to do a bike ride in such a hilly landscape? |
| Holy | The holy atmosphere of the cathedral inspired deep reverence. |
| Homely | I find comfort in the homely ambiance of my childhood home. |
| Hourly | The hourly chimes of the clock marked the passage of time. |
| Jangly | The jangly keys in your pocket make quite a noise as you walk. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Jiggly | These jiggly desserts are a favorite at the bakery. |
| Jingly | The jingly sound of bells announces the ice cream truck’s arrival. |
| Jolly | We shared a jolly laugh as we reminisced about old times. |
| Kindly | She is a quiet but kindly woman. |
| Knobbly | His knobbly knees showed the signs of years spent playing sports. |
| Leisurely | Taking a leisurely stroll through the park is a wonderful way to relax. |
| Lively | The lively music had everyone up and dancing in no time. |
| Lonely | I’ve never felt more lonely than when I was far from home. |
| Lovely | The lovely garden blooms with a variety of colorful flowers. |
| Lowly | The lowly janitor always had a smile for everyone in the office. |
| Manly | He had a manly physique and a strong presence. |
| Measly | The measly amount of food left us hungry for more. |
| Melancholy | There’s a certain melancholy beauty to rainy days. |
| Miserly | The miserly man refused to part with his money. |
| Monthly | I receive a monthly electricity bill. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Motherly | Her motherly instincts kicked in when she saw the injured bird. |
| Muscly | His muscly arms are a testament to his dedication to fitness. |
| Mumbly | His mumbly voice made it hard to understand what he was saying. |
| Neighborly | The neighborly gesture of lending a hand was greatly appreciated. |
| Nightly | My nightly routine of reading a book before bed helps me relax. |
| Northerly | There’s a chill in the air now these northerly winds have arrived. |
| Oily | The oily residue on the surface indicated a leak. |
| Only | The only way to succeed is through hard work and determination. |
| Orderly | The librarian keeps an orderly arrangement of books. |
| Otherworldly | Our otherworldly experience left us in awe of nature’s beauty. |
| Pearly | Her pearly smile was infectious and warmed the hearts of all who saw it. |
| Pebbly | There’s a pebbly beach here that’s perfect for beachcombing. |
| Piddly | Don’t worry about that piddly issue; it’s not a big deal. |
| Poorly | I’m sorry to hear your son is poorly today. |
| Princely | He paid a princely sum for the antique. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Prickly | The prickly cactus didn’t deter the curious squirrel. |
| Quarterly | We’ll arrange for a quarterly report to be sent to you. |
| Rattly | I couldn’t concentrate because of the rattly old fan. |
| Rumbly | Judging by the rumbly sky, there must be a storm approaching. |
| Saintly | Her saintly dedication to helping others earned her admiration. |
| Scaly | The scaly skin of the reptile was surprisingly smooth to the touch. |
| Scholarly | His scholarly knowledge of the subject impressed everyone in the room. |
| Shapely | That dress is very flattering to her shapely figure. |
| Sickly | Her friends were concerned by her sickly appearance. |
| Silly | The silly joke had us all laughing uncontrollably. |
| Sisterly | Her sisterly advice is always welcome and comforting. |
| Slovenly | Don’t let his slovenly appearance overshadow his meticulous work. |
| Sly | The sly fox sneaked into the chicken coop under cover of darkness. |
| Smelly | Could you please take out the garbage? It’s so smelly! |
| Southerly | The southerly breeze brought relief from the heat. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Sprightly | She danced with a sprightly grace that captivated the audience. |
| Squiggly | We can’t make any sense of this squiggly line on the graph. |
| Stately | The stately mansion stood proudly at the end of the avenue. |
| Steely | His steely determination helped him overcome every obstacle. |
| Surly | The surly waiter barely acknowledged our presence. |
| Timely | Submit your report in a timely manner to meet the deadline. |
| Tingly | A tingly sensation spread across my skin as I stepped into the cold water. |
| Twinkly | The twinkly stars lit up the night sky, creating a mesmerizing scene. |
| Ugly | It was an ugly sight to see all that litter on the beach. |
| Unearthly | The haunted forest echoed with an unearthly sound. |
| Unfriendly | His unfriendly demeanor made it hard to approach him. |
| Ungainly | The ungainly gait of the newborn foal was endearing. |
| Unlikely | It seems unlikely that we will finish the project ahead of schedule. |
| Unruly | The police were brought in to control the unruly crowd. |
| Unseemly | His unseemly behavior at the event shocked everyone. |
| Adjective ending -ly | Example sentence |
|---|---|
| Unsightly | This carpet would be worth more if it weren’t for the unsightly stain on it. |
| Untimely | The untimely rainstorm disrupted the outdoor concert. |
| Unworldly | His unworldly talents made him stand out among his peers. |
| Unwieldy | I’m having difficulty carrying this unwieldy package. |
| Weekly | He never misses his weekly soccer game. |
| Westerly | He never misses his weekly soccer game. |
| Weasely | His weasely behavior made it hard to trust him. |
| Wily | The wily fox outsmarted all attempts to catch it. |
| Wobbly | Her first steps were wobbly, but she quickly gained balance. |
| Womanly | Her womanly grace and confidence set her apart in the room. |
| Woolly | I’ve knitted you a woolly sweater to keep you warm this winter. |
| Worldly | His worldly experiences enriched his perspective on life. |
| Wriggly | The wriggly worm squirmed through the damp soil. |
| Wrinkly | The wrinkly skin around his eyes revealed years of laughter. |
| Yearly | We take a yearly family vacation together to strengthen our bonds. |
-ly adjectives that are also adverbs
Some of these adjectives that end in -ly can also function as adverbs. Usually, the difference occurs in where the word is placed in the sentence. Here are some of the examples above rearranged to change the adjective to an adverb:
- We decided to take our vacation early this year.
- I make it a habit to go for a morning run daily.
- I receive an electricity bill monthly.
- We take a family vacation together yearly to strengthen our bonds.
Sometimes, though, the meaning of the word completely changes when it is used as an adverb. For example, ‘poorly’ as an adjective means ‘unwell’, whereas as an adverb it means ‘badly’. You can always refer to a dictionary to double-check the meaning of a particular word.
Conclusion
We hope this list of adjectives ending in -ly has been helpful. If you can think of any other good ones to add, please leave a comment below to let us know!
