ably

adverb

ˈā-b(ə-)lē 

: in an able and skillful manner : with ability, skill, or proficiency

was ably assisted

This silly comic Christmas romp is ably performed by a cast of 22 actors, led by the high-spirited Danny McBride as the childlike Buddy.

—Matthew Yde

Last year, she ably completed a half-marathon run with only minimal training.

—Zachary Lewis

Synonyms

• adeptly
• adroitly
• artfully
• capably
• competently
• consummately
• deftly
• expertly
• masterfully
• masterly
• proficiently
• skillfully
• well

Examples of ably in a Sentence

ably maneuvered the boat up to the dock

Recent Examples on the Web

Jeremy Allen White is spectacular in the lead role, but he’s ably supported by great turns from Ayo Edibiri and Ebon Moss-Bacharach. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025

For many fans of inspirational sports movies, Hoosiers is an all-time great, with Hackman ably portraying the scrappy, tough-love coach Norman Dale, who guides his team of underdogs to the title. —Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025

The villainous role of Mughal king Aurangzeb is ably portrayed by Akshaye Khanna. —Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

To his credit, Edwards has performed ably as a starter in the last two bouts. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ably

• bubbly
• doubly
• stably

Kids Definition

ably

adverb

ˈā-blē

: in an able manner