† 1. Loving, kind, affectionate. Obs.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 190. Mona se twelfta on eallum weorcum nytlic ys … cild acenned god luflic.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 5. For þanne beð no man siker ar he ihere þat lufliche word of ure louerd ihesu cristes swete muðe Cumeð ȝe ibletsede.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 428. Swuch ouh wummone lore to beon—luuelich & liðe.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 484. Seie ich him biseche Wiþ loueliche speche Þat he adun falle Bifore þe king.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13260. He sermund wit his loueli spek, And heild mani þat war seke.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 142. For sheo to him so lovely was and trewe.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 565. And welcomed hem with louely chere.
1533–9. T. St. Aubyn, in Lisle Papers, XIII. 96 (MS.). With much hearty and lovely recommendations.
1602. Narcissus (1893), 129. Wee are … the kings owne lovely subiects.
† b. Amorous. Obs.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xxi. 246. And they had goodely langage & louely countenaunce to gyder.
1556. Aurelio & Isab. (1608), A ij. Whatsoever man that was unto the lovely passions disposed, soudenly … burned for her.
1587. M. Grove, Pelops & Hipp. (1878), 74. The letter of a friend of a wounded Louer,… to disswade him from this louelie follie.
1592. Lyly, Midas, III. iii. Amerula, another tale or none, this is too louely. Sua. Nay let me heare anie woman tell a tale of x lines long without it tend to love, and I will [etc.].
1599. Shaks., etc., Pass. Pilgr., iv. Sweet Cytherea … Did court the Lad with many a louely looke.
† c. Friendly, amicable. Obs. (? Sc.)
1409. in Exch. Rolls Scotl., IV. ccx. [Thai] sal nocht tak that caus furth bot in lufely manere as the lach will.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Scot. (1655), 12. After lovely advice at the Council-Table … he was freely dismist.
2. Lovable; worthy of love; suited to attract love. Obs. exc. with etymological allusion.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Spelman), lxxxiii. 1. Hu luflice [Vulg. quam dilecta] ʓeteld ðin.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 389. Quhen he wes blyth, he was lufly.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. lv. 131. Louely fader, it is worþy þat þis houre þi seruaunt suffre somwhat for þe.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 1443. But, moost louely father I pray you hertfully Take no dysplesure.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. (1590), 66. Being beloued in all companies for his louely qualities.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 192. I am almost loth to say it, (sayth Quintilian) because it may be mistaken that shamefastnesse is a vice, but a lovely one.
1748. G. White, Serm. (MS.). Though God be … more lovely than Man, yet ’tis more natural and easy … for us in our present state to love men than God.
1812. Landor, Ct. Julian, I. iii. What we love Is loveliest in departure!
1846. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., II. III. II. v. § 12. If his mind be … sweetly toned, what he loves will be lovely.
3. Lovable or attractive on account of beauty; beautiful. Now with emotional sense, as a strong expression of admiring or delighted feeling: Exquisitely beautiful.
a. with reference to beauty of person.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16635. Þai spitted on his luueli face.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 52. Þe louelokkest ladies þat euer lif haden.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 690. Be he never swa stalworth and wyght, And comly of shap, lufly and fayre.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 162. My lyre als the lely, lufely to syghte.
1590. Marlowe, 2nd Pt. Tamburl., I. iii. This lovely boy, the youngest of the three. Ibid. Well, lovely boys, ye shall be emperors both.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Induct. i. 67. Til the teares … Like enuious flouds ore-run her louely face.
1720. Mrs. Manley, Power of Love (1741), I. 22. The Brother was not only more lovely than the Sister, but handsome beyond all Things.
1722. B. Star, trans. Mlle. de St. Phale, vii. 220, I never saw two lovelier Gentlemen in my Life, nor so beautiful a Virgin.
1751–2. Fielding, Covent Gard. Jrnl., No. 37. Wks. 1784, X. 72. The ladies … covered their lovely necks.
1801. Coleridge, Christabel, II. 507. He bids thee come without delay … And take thy lovely daughter home.
1898. Flor. Montgomery, Tony, 14. What a lovely face!
absol. or sb. † Also pl.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 397. Withe a launce one loft þat louely cone lede; A freke one a fresone him folowed, in fay.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1003. Thai luschit and laid on, thai luflyis of lyre.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph. To my Fancy, Should one Love knot all lovelies tie.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, xi. 81. Tho’ the lovely seems likewise to have been as much the sculptor’s aim.
1786. Cowper, Lett. to Unwin, 3 July, Wks. 1836, V. 342. Our love is with all your lovelies, both great and small.
1859. E. FitzGerald, trans. Omar, xxi. (1899), 76. The loveliest and best That Time and Fate of all their Vintage prest.
b. said of inanimate things.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 692. As quo says lo ȝon louely yle, Þou may hit wynne if þou be wyȝte.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 4193. Day is dawed and is day, It was a louely morn.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1541. Was neuer sython vnder son Cite so large,… Non so luffly on to loke in any lond oute.
c. 1403. Cuckow & Night., 72. They coude that servyce al by rote; Ther was many a lovely straunge note.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), xix. 33. Nane may … in to þat lufly bour Mak residens.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 79. See how mischiefe appeares in a louely and vndistempered Scene. Ibid., 214. Corall, white and louely.
1708. Burnet, Lett. (ed. 3), 193. Crusted with inlayings of lovely Marble, in a great Variety.
1866. M. Arnold, Thyrsis, iii. And that sweet city with her dreaming spires … Lovely all times she lies, lovely tonight.
1884. Q. Victoria, More Leaves, 123. We came upon Loch Ard, and a lovelier picture could not be seen.
c. with reference to moral or spiritual beauty. (See also sense 2.)
1805. Southey, Lett. (1856), I. 315. The life and death of that man were equally lovely.
a. 1851. Mrs. Sherwood, Poor Burruff, 15. I hope that all the little boys who read this, may learn thereby how lovely it is to be kind to dumb creatures.
1861. J. Edmond, Childr. Ch. at Home, iii. 50. Make us like the lovely child Jesus.
4. Used as a term expressive of enthusiastic laudation: Delightful, highly excellent. colloq.
1614. Markham, Cheap. Husb. (1623), 121. [The Swine] though he is counted good in no place but the dish onely, yet there he is so louely and so wholesome, that all other faults may be borne with.
1653. Walton, Angler, iii. 73. Come lets to supper. Come my friend Coridon, this Trout looks lovely.
1681. Chetham, Angler’s Vade-m., iv. § 21 (1689), 53. Tis a lovely Bait for Winter, and Spring.
1860. C. Patmore, Faithful for ever, III. i. 171. Dear Fred wrote, Directly, such a lovely note.
1872. Geo. Eliot, in Cross, Life, III. 164. Mr. Lewes had ‘a lovely time’ at Weybridge.
