Adjective: seemly
Comparison Forms
Synthetic
| Comparative | seemlier |
| Superlative | seemliest |
Perifrastic
Sample Sentences
-
His behavior was seemly, as befits a gentleman.
-
Suspense of judgment and exercise of charity were safer and seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of these controversies. [[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):]
-
I am a woman, lacking wit / To make a seemly answer to such persons. [1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:]
-
[…] every six months she strapped on her sword and armor, and rode off in a confusion of gleaming strangers. […] When Mama came home the strangers came with her, and so did more money than was really seemly. [2017, Ada Hoffmann, Monsters in My Mind, page 24]
Adjectives inflected like seemly
syrupy,
seemly,
seggsy,
snuffy,
snippy,
snitty,
sniffy,
snotty,
snouty,
snobby,
snoozy,
snooty,
snazzy,
snappy,
snarky,
snarly,
snassy,
snaily,
snacky,
snaggy, etc. (List truncated at 20 adjectives)
Etymology
From Middle English semly, semely, semelich, from Old Norse sœmiligr (“seemly”); equivalent to seem + -ly. Cognate with Icelandic sæmilegur (“seemly, passable”), Danish sømmelig (“seemly”).