WORD OF THE DAY: COMELY
adjective | KUM-lee
What It Means
Comely is an adjective with an old-fashioned and literary feel that describes someone or something that has a pleasing appearance, or that is pretty or attractive.
// The newlyweds make quite a comely couple.
Comely in Context
“One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Berlin 10 years ago was something odd about the pigeons here: Some of them were pretty, far comelier than Manhattan pigeons …” — Ben Crair, The New York Times, 29 June 2026
Did You Know?
Comely—especially when compared to its more common synonyms, including lovely, handsome, and beautiful—has an old-fashioned flair. These days it is used especially by writers of historical fantasy to modify words referring to women, such as maiden and damsel, that also suggest real or imagined days of castles and courts. But comely need not be restricted to such uses, and indeed, it historically was not. Its oldest meaning in English, from the 14th century and still used today, describes things that conform, pleasurably, to notions of good appearance, suitability, or proportion, as when Willa Cather wrote that “they observed that all was neat and comely …” Comely is not etymologically related to the familiar verb come that also forms part of the word come-hither, as in “come-hither glances.” It instead traces back to the Old English word cȳmlic, meaning “glorious,” which in turn comes from cȳme, meaning “lively” or “fine.”
Merriam Webster Dictionary
