seemly
/ˈsiːmli/ adjective, adverb
Forms seemlier seemliest
- adjective Of behavior, appropriate; suited to the occasion or purpose; becoming. “His behavior was seemly, as befits a gentleman.”
- adverb Appropriately, fittingly.
Synonyms
Antonyms
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Suited to the object, occasion, purpose, or character; suitable; fit; becoming; comely; decorous.
- adverb In a decent or suitable manner; becomingly.
Etymology [Icel. s, fr. s becoming, fit; akin to samr same, E. same; the sense being properly, the same or like, hence, fitting. See Seem, v. i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “seemly”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details