lovely 1 of 2

adjective

ˈləv-lē How to pronounce lovely (audio)
Definition of lovelynext
1
as in wonderful
of the very best kind thanked their hosts for the lovely time they had at the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beautiful
very pleasing to look at a lovely painting of young girls in their summer dresses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lovely

2 of 2

noun

as in stunner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective lovely differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lovely are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and pretty. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

When could beautiful be used to replace lovely?

The words beautiful and lovely are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How are the words comely and handsome related as synonyms of lovely?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

When is fair a more appropriate choice than lovely?

In some situations, the words fair and lovely are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When would handsome be a good substitute for lovely?

While in some cases nearly identical to lovely, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

When is it sensible to use pretty instead of lovely?

Although the words pretty and lovely have much in common, pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lovely
Adjective
Among her options: No. 1 Top-Floor Walkup This sunny, west-facing one-bedroom was on the top floor of a five-story walkup building on a lovely street in the Jackson Heights Historic District. —Joyce Cohen, New York Times, 22 May 2025 So, here’s to you Mother Nature for a lovely spring. —Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025
Noun
No, Colin Frissell hooking up with the three lovelies in Wisconsin. —Kyle Smith, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019 The vegetables: Along with the summer lovelies mentioned above, some people get all crazy and put mushrooms in their ratatouille. —James P. Dewan, chicagotribune.com, 13 Aug. 2019 See All Example Sentences for lovely
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lovely
  1. wonderful
  2. beautiful
  3. stunner
  4. excellent
  5. gorgeous
  6. eyeful
  7. fabulous
  8. cute
Adjective
  • Your wonderful dog may or may not hanker to break routine and go on holiday.
    — John Oseid, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • My daughter came to live with us for nine wonderful years.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 27 May 2025
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • That's why the new savings account for children included in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill , with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government, is truly beautiful to the investment community.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • The grounds are beautiful, the setting is tranquil, and the ceremonies held here every Memorial Day are filled with heartfelt patriotism.
    — Staff report, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
Definition of beautiful
Noun
  • This open-back, drop-waist stunner in an icy Cinderella blue?
    — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
  • This brings us to D.S. & Durga’s new trio of distinct aromatic scents: a verdant and green fougère; a regal, woodsy floral; and a breezy, spicy summer stunner.
    — Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 27 May 2025
Definition of stunner
Adjective
  • The enchanting espionage comedy flaunts an excellent Benicio del Toro as a 1950s industrialist, who, after surviving an attempt on his life, names his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as heir to his empire.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
  • Amazon The latest MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is an excellent, lightweight laptop.
    — Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 24 May 2025
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • And then of course the most perfect, gorgeous Schiaparelli black dress shows up.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 29 May 2025
  • On the surface, all the Wisteria neighbors are living the dream: beautiful homes, gorgeous families, shiny SUVs in the driveway.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Definition of gorgeous
Noun
  • Its Southern Alps are where Hollywood films fantasy flicks, skiers slide and Americans flock like sheep to get an easy eyeful.
    — Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 17 May 2025
  • Even a glance at the headlines these days will give you an eyeful of negativity.
    — Harry Kraemer, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
Definition of eyeful
Adjective
  • The Verhaeghe-Bennett-Tkachuk line was fabulous Thursday.
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • This is a fabulous day for romance and warm, loving relations with others, because the Moon is in your sign, lined up with Venus in your sign, which is also close to Neptune in your sign.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 May 2025
Definition of fabulous
Adjective
  • The knotted fabric straps have an elevated look, making these cute enough to wear with your favorite sundresses and skirts.
    — Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2025
  • In addition to pool and beach looks, these slides look cute with baggy jeans and graphic tank tops, flowy midi dresses, and two-piece linen sets.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 28 May 2025
Definition of cute

Browse Nearby Words

loveliness
lovely
lovemaking
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Cite this Entry

“Lovely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lovely. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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