lowly

English

Etymology

From low +‎ -ly; compare Middle English lowly.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈləʊli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈloʊli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊli

Adjective

lowly (comparative lowlier, superlative lowliest)

1. Not high; not elevated in place; low.
   • 1918, C. J. Dennis, The Chase of Ages‎^[1]:

     And I watched you waltz from tree to tree
     As I slunk in my lowly lair

   • 1697, John Dryden, translating Virgil, Aeneid‎^[2]:

     And those whom Tiber's holy forests hide,
     Or Circe's hills from the main land divide;
     Where Ufens glides along the lowly lands,
     Or the black water of Pomptina stands.

2. Low in rank or social importance.
   • 1725, Alexander Pope, translating Homer, Odyssey‎^[3]:

     One common right the great and lowly claims.

3. Not lofty or sublime; humble.
   • 2010, David Dondero, Just a Baby in Your Momma's Eyes:

     Where our apt used to be they built a fancy condominium high-rise.
     Which at a lowly income none of us could ever really quite afford.

   • 1697, John Dryden, Pastoral VI‎^[4]:

     For all who read, and reading, not disdain / These rural poems, and their lowly strain

4. Having a low esteem of one's own worth; humble; meek; free from pride.
   • 1769, Bible (King James Version), Matthew xi. 29

     Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

Derived terms

• lowliness

Translations

not high, notelevated in place

• Finnish: matala (fi)
• German: niedrig (de)

low in social importance

• Finnish: alhainen (fi)
• German: niedrig (de), einfach (de)

not lofty or sublime; humble

• Bulgarian: скромен (bg) (skromen)
• Finnish: vaatimaton (fi)
• French: humble (fr)
• German: bescheiden (de)
• Irish: uiríseal, íseal
• Latin: humilis
• Russian: ни́зко (ru) (nízko)
• Swedish: ödmjuk (sv), blygsam (sv), anspråkslös (sv)

having a low esteem of one's own worth

• Finnish: vaatimaton (fi)
• German: demütig (de)

Adverb

lowly (comparative more lowly, superlative most lowly)

1. In a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly.
2. In a low condition; meanly.
3. At low pitch or volume.

   He muttered lowly.

Translations

humbly; meekly; modestly

• Bulgarian: скромно (bg) (skromno)
• Finnish: vaatimattomasti
• German: demütig (de)

Anagrams

• wolly

Middle English

Adverb

lowly

1. in a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly
   • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum x”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XXI, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

     And there was none of these other knyghtes but they redde in bookes and holpe for to synge Masse, and range bellys, and dyd lowly al maner of servyce.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)