gradely

1 of 2

adjective

grade·​ly
ˈgrādli
1
dialectal, England : fine, good, and desirable:
a
: upstanding and worthy
how proud I am of Rochdale and of its gradely folksGracie Fields
b
: promising and likely
a gradely lad
c
: physically well : being in good health
Mama and Papa are … gradelyCharlotte Brontë
d
: physically attractive : good-looking
2
dialectal, England : fitting and proper : appropriate

gradely

2 of 2

adverb

"
1
dialectal, England : properly and suitably
2
dialectal, England : well

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English greithly, graithly ready, prompt, excellent, from Old Norse greithliga ready, prompt, from greithr ready, free + -ligr -ly

Adverb

Middle English greithly, graithly promptly, suitably, from Old Norse greithligr promptly, from greithligr, adjective

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near gradely

Cite this Entry

“Gradely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gradely. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!