lowly

C2+ Topic:Describing People

US /ˈloʊli/ UK /ˈləʊli/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like lolly /ɑ/ vs /oʊ/

adj adv

Meanings

1

adj
low in rank or status; humble

He began his career in a lowly clerical post.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · low in rank or status; humble humble modest meeklowbornplebeian unpretentious menial

Opposites

lofty noble exalted grand eminent

Word family

Derived forms lowliness

Related forms low

Etymology

From low (from Old Norse lágr 'low', from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz) + the suffix -ly. Means 'characteristic of a low rank, humble'.

lágr Old Norse *lēgaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People Word Formation & Derivatives

# lowly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** ˈloʊli
**IPA (UK):** ˈləʊli

## Meanings
1. low in rank or status; humble

## Examples
- He began his career in a lowly clerical post.

## Synonyms
- humble
- modest
- meek
- lowborn
- plebeian
- unpretentious
- menial

## Antonyms
- lofty
- noble
- exalted
- grand
- eminent

## Derived Forms
- lowliness

## Related Forms
- low

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: lágr
- Root: *lēgaz

## Etymology
From low (from Old Norse lágr 'low', from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz) + the suffix -ly. Means 'characteristic of a low rank, humble'.

## AI Etymology
Lowly comes from low (from Old Norse lágr 'low', from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz) + the suffix -ly. Means 'characteristic of a low rank, humble'. The etymological trail includes Old Norse lágr and Proto-Germanic *lēgaz. As an adjective, lowly means low in rank or status; humble. The same family is visible in derived forms such as lowliness and related forms such as low. Morphologically, the word is built from the elements named in its history, so the modern form preserves a visible compound, prefix, or suffix structure.

## Topics
- Describing People
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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lowly

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