What does goodly mean?
Goodly is an old-fashioned English adjective with two especially recognizable meanings. It can describe something attractive or pleasing, especially a person, as in a goodly woman, and it can also mean large, ample, or impressive, as in a goodly sum of money. Both uses convey a sense of abundance, quality, or visual impact, although the first is flattering and the second emphasizes generous dimensions. The word is now chiefly found in literary, historical, and archaic contexts rather than everyday contemporary speech. In its older adverbial use, goodly means well or in a proper manner. Although its frequency has declined, it remains useful for formal narration and for giving prose a traditional, elevated tone. Its historical associations with beauty and generosity make it more evocative than neutral modern alternatives such as attractive or large.
Attractive or pleasing in appearance; ample, sizable, or impressive in amount; in older usage, good, proper, or suitable.
"A goodly harvest filled the barns before the first frost."
Chiefly literary, archaic, or old-fashioned. The size-related sense often appears with words such as sum, measure, or harvest.
In a good, proper, or successful manner; well.
"The young squire performed goodly in his first tournament."
Archaic and literary; 'well' is usually more natural in modern English.
Once a familiar literary word for beauty, goodly can now make a large amount sound almost like a character from an old novel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does goodly come from?
Goodly is a Middle English formation based on good, with the suffix -ly; its development parallels the older formation godly. The word belongs to the same broad Germanic and Old English lexical tradition as good, while godly reflects a related adjective-forming pattern. In modern usage, its older sense of being proper or suitable has largely given way to the more distinctive senses of attractiveness and ample size.
Related word forms
How goodly is actually used
Goodly is most often encountered in literary, historical, or deliberately archaic prose. Its appearance-based sense can sound complimentary but somewhat formal, while its sense of a large amount can suggest generosity or abundance. The adverbial use is also old-fashioned and is usually understood as 'well' or 'properly.'
Easily confused with goodly
Goodly can mean attractive or impressively sizable, whereas godly means devoutly religious or pious.