Adjectives ending in ly

From Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary 3rd Edition

Translations from Gran Diccionario Oxford 3 Edicin
Not all the words ending in -ly are manner adverbs in English. Have a look at the following list:
bodily /bd..li/ adjective relating to the human body CORPORAL
bodily fluids (= blood, saliva, etc.)
brotherly /br. l.i/ adjective showing the kindness, interest or love that you would expect a brother to show
Can I give you some brotherly FRATERNAL advice?
costly /ks t .li/ adjective MONEY 1. expensive COSTOSO
a costly item
a costly purchase
DISAPPROVING The project was subject to several costly delays / setbacks CONTRATIEMPOS .
courtly /kt.li/ adjective polite and formal in behaviour DISTINGUIDO
cowardly /ka.d.li/ adjective
This was a particularly brutal and cowardly attack.
They are guilty of a cowardly failure to address the problem.
crumbly /krm.bli/ , /-bl .i/ adjective breaking easily into small pieces QUE SE DESMIGAJA, DESMENUZA
FCILMENTE
bread with a crumbly texture
cuddly /kd.l i/ adjective APPROVING liking to cuddle, or making you want to cuddle RIQUSIMO, ADORABLE
a very cuddly child
daily /de.li/ adverb, adjective happening on or relating to every day
Exercise has become part of my daily routine.
We back up our computer files at work on a daily basis.
She's looking forward to retiring and ending the daily grind (= hard, boring work or duty) of working in an office.
dangly /d.gli/ adjective hanging loosely COLGANTES
dangly earrings
deadly /ded.li/ adjective VERY DANGEROUS 1. likely to cause death MORTAL
a deadly virus
a deadly weapon
deadly /ded.li/ adjective BORING 2. INFORMAL extremely boring ABURRIDSIMO
The party was deadly.
deadly sin CAPITAL
in deadly silence EN SILENCIO SEPULCRAL
drizzly /drz.li/ adjective describes weather when it is raining in small light drops
a drizzly afternoon DE LLOVIZNA
easterly /i.st l.i/ adjective 1. in or towards the east, or blowing from the east
They were travelling in an easterly direction.
elderly /el.d l.i/ adjective POLITE WORD FOR old
elderly relatives / parents MAYORES / ANCIANOS / DE EDAD
fatherly /f. l.i/ adjective describes a man or male behaviour typical of a kind and loving father
fatherly advice
friendly /frend.li/ adjective 1. behaving in a pleasant, kind way towards someone
a friendly face / smile
Our neighbours have always been very friendly to / towards us.
I'm on quite friendly terms with LLEVARSE BIEN CON my daughter's teacher.
gentlemanly /den.tl .mn.li/ adjective typical of a polite gentleman
a gentlemanly manner CON CABALLEROSIDAD
ghastly /gs t .li/ adjective ghast 1. INFORMAL unpleasant and shocking ESPANTOSO, HORRENDO,
HORRIBLE, REPUGNANTE
Today's newspaper gives all the ghastly details of the murder.
2. INFORMAL extremely bad
What ghastly weather ! It was all a ghastly mistake .
I thought her outfit was ghastly.
You look ghastly! TIENES MUY MALA CARA

ghostly /gs t .li/ adjective 1. pale and transparent

a ghostly figure / apparition FANTASMAGRICO
2. not loud or clear
a ghostly voice / echo
godly /gd.li/ adjective showing obedience to God PIADOSO, DEVOTO, RELIGIOSO
a godly woman
heavenly /hev. n.li/ adjective 1. of heaven CELESTIAL
heavenly music
heavenly light
2. giving great pleasure DIVINO
It was a good party and the food was heavenly.
hourly /a.li/ adjective 1. done or happening every hour
There's an hourly bus service into town.
Take two tablets at hourly intervals.
2. hourly fee / rate, etc. the amount that is charged or earned every hour
leisurely /le..li/ adjective describes an action that is done in a relaxed way, without hurrying
We enjoyed a leisurely LENTO, PAUSADO, SIN PRISAS picnic lunch on the lawn.
likely /la.kli/ adjective 1. describes something that will probably happen or is expected
Do remind me because I'm likely to forget.
What's the likely outcome of this whole business?
lively /lav.li/ adjective 1. having or showing a lot of energy and enthusiasm, or showing interesting and
exciting thought ALEGRE, ANIMADO
It's hard work teaching a class of lively children.
a lively city
lonely /ln.li/ adjective 1. unhappy because you are not with other people
She gets lonely now that all the kids have left home.
the lonely life of a farmer
lordly /ld.li/ adjective describes someone who behaves as if they are better than other people SEORIAL
a lordly air
lovely /lv.li/ adjective ENJOYABLE 1. MAINLY UK pleasant or enjoyable, BONITO, LINDO,
a lovely meal / evening
We had a lovely time with them. LO PASAMOS ESTUPENDO
lovely /lv.li/ adjective BEAUTIFUL 2. MAINLY UK beautiful PRECIOSO
She has lovely eyes.
You look lovely in that dress.
Thank you for the lovely present.
lovely /lv.li/ adjective KIND 3. describes a person who is kind, friendly and pleasant to be with ENCANTADOR
He's a lovely bloke.
manly /mn.li/ adjective APPROVING having the qualities which people think a man should have VARONIL
He has such a manly voice.
My mother used to tell me it wasn't manly for little boys to cry.
masterly /m.st.li/ adjective done extremely well MAGISTRAL
She gave a masterly performance as Kate in 'The Taming of the Shrew'.
miserly /ma.z l.i/ adjective DISAPPROVING PERSON 1. like or typical of a miser MEZQUINO, RUN
a miserly person
miserly /ma.z l.i/ adjective DISAPPROVING AMOUNT 2. describes an amount that is extremely small
a miserly 75p a week rise in the state pension
motherly /m. l.i/ adjective USUALLY APPROVING describes a woman who treats other people with a lot of
kindness and love and tries to make certain they are happy
nightly /nat.li/ adjective DARK PERIOD /EVENING 2. (happening) every night / evening
They're appearing / performing twice nightly at the Playhouse Theatre.
a nightly visit / news broadcast NOCTURNO
northerly /n. l.i/ adjective 1. towards or in the north
They walked in a northerly direction (= towards the north) across the desert.
There are plans to build a hotel on the most northerly (= nearest the north) point of the island.
orderly /.d l.i/ adjective well arranged or organized
She put the letters in three orderly piles.
Form an orderly queue.
priestly /pris t .li/ adjective relating to or like a priest SACERDOTAL

scholarly /skl..li/ adjective 1. containing a serious detailed study of a subject DE GRAN ERUDICIN
a scholarly article / book / work / journal
2. describes someone who studies a lot and knows a lot about what they study ERUDITO
a scholarly young woman
shapely /e.pli/ adjective APPROVING used to describe something that has an attractive form, especially a
woman's body or parts of a woman's body BIEN TORNEADA, PROPORCIONADA
shapely legs
sickly /sk.li/ adjective ILL 1. weak, unhealthy and often ill
a sickly child / plant
Her face was a sickly colour when she came out of the dentist's.
sickly /sk.li/ adjective VOMIT 2. DISAPPROVING causing a slight feeling of wanting to vomit
A sickly smell of decaying fish came from the dirty river.
The chocolate cake was sickly sweet (= too sweet) .
3. DISAPPROVING emotional, in an embarrassing way EMPALAGOSO
His books are sometimes accused of sickly sentimentality .
sisterly /ss.t l.i/ adjective feeling or behaving like a sister
I felt quite sisterly towards him, but I couldn't marry him.
slovenly /slv. n.li/ adjective sloven untidy and dirty DESCUIDADO, DESALIADO, DESASEADO
a slovenly appearance
I'll have to improve my slovenly habits - my mother's coming to stay.
southerly /s. l.i/ adjective 1. towards or in the south
We walked in a southerly direction.
Los Cristianos is the most southerly resort in Tenerife.
2. southerly wind a wind that comes from the south
spindly /spnd.li/ adjective spind long or tall and thin, and looking weak LARGUIRUCHO
spindly legs
a plant with a spindly stem
sprightly /sprat.li/ adjective spright (especially of old people) energetic and in good health LLENO DE
BRO, ALEGRE
He's a sprightly old man of seventy-five.
timely /tam.li/ adjective happening at a suitable moment OPORTUNO
a timely reminder
The change in the exchange rate provided a timely boost to the company's falling profits.
unearthly /n.li/ adjective NOT CONVENIENT 1. INFORMAL describes a time that is not at all convenient
because it is too early in the morning or too late at night A HORAS INTEMPESTIVAS
I was woken up at some unearthly hour of the morning by someone knocking on my door.
unearthly /n.li/ adjective STRANGE 2. strange in a mysterious and sometimes frightening way
SOBRENATURAL
Cats' cries have an unearthly quality.
ungainly /ngen.li/ adjective awkward and without grace (= moving smoothly and attractively) in movement
DESGARBADO, TORPE
Ducks are ungainly on land.
ungodly /ngd.li/ /-gd-/ adjective [ before noun ] INFORMAL extreme or unacceptable INFAME
I had to get up at some ungodly hour in the morning to take her to the airport.
unholy /nh.li/ /-ho-/ adjective CAUSING HARM 1. describes a combination of things when it is very
bad, harmful or unpleasant IMPURO, PECAMINOSO, PROFANO
Religious fanatics have formed an unholy alliance with right wing groups.
There was a smell emanating from the fridge - an unholy combination of over-ripe cheese and unwrapped fish.
unholy /nh.li/ /-ho-/ adjective EXTREME 2. [ before noun ] INFORMAL extreme and unacceptable
an unholy mess / row / noise INFAME, DE MIL DEMONIOS
unruly /nru.li/ adjective 1. Unruly people are difficult to control and often don't obey rules REBELDE,
INDISCIPLINADO, DIFCIL DE CONTROLAR
an unruly class of adolescents
2. Unruly hair is difficult to keep tidy, often sticking up or out
an unruly mop of black hair

unsightly /nsat.li/ adjective SLIGHTLY FORMAL not attractive; ugly FEO, ANTIESTTICO
He had undone the buttons of his shirt, exposing an unsightly expanse of white flesh.
weekly /wi.kli/ adjective , adverb happening once a week or every week
a weekly magazine / report
a twice-weekly meeting
The fire alarm has a weekly test
westerly /wes.t l.i/ /-t.li/ adjective 1. in or towards the west
So far, only the westerly part of the site has been developed.
We travelled in a westerly direction.
2. westerly wind a wind that comes from the west
womanly /wm.n.li/ adjective describes qualities, ideas or physical features which a woman is typically or
traditionally thought to have
She referred in a positive way to the 'traditional womanly goals of marriage and motherhood' several
times in her talk.
She used her womanly wiles / charms to persuade him to change his mind.
Compare manly
woolly, US ALSO wooly /wl.i/ adjective OF WOOL 1. made of wool, or made of something that looks like wool
a woolly hat / jumper
worldly /wld.li/ /wld-/ adjective PHYSICAL 1. [ before noun ] relating to or consisting of physical things
and ordinary life rather than spiritual things MATERIAL
For many of the refugees, the clothes they are wearing are all the worldly goods (= possessions) they have.
Her worldly success can hardly be denied.
worldly /wld.li/ /wld-/ adjective PRACTICAL 2. practical and having a lot of experience of life
She seems to be much more worldly than the other students in her class.
yearly /j.li/ /jr-/ adjective , adverb every year or once every year
We get a yearly pay increase.
Interest is paid yearly.
badly-off /bd.lif/ /-f/ adjective worse-off , worst-off having little money and few of the things you need to live
MAL DE DINERO
They're not badly-off but they don't have much money to spare.

Activity 1. Choose seven adjectives ending in ly and make true sentences for you using one
adjective in each sentence.

Activity 2 Write groups of adjectives which follow the same pattern: e.g.: fatherly, motherly,
brotherly, sisterly