lowly
(redirected from lowlier)Also found in: Thesaurus.
low·ly
(lō′lē)adj. low·li·er, low·li·est
1. Having or suited for a low rank or position.
2. Humble or meek in manner.
3. Plain or prosaic in nature.
adv.
1. In a low manner, condition, or position.
2. In a meek or humble manner.
3. Low in sound.
low′li·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lowly
(ˈləʊlɪ)adj, -lier or -liest
1. humble or low in position, rank, status, etc
2. full of humility; meek
3. simple, unpretentious, or plain
adv
in a low or lowly manner
ˈlowliness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
low•ly
(ˈloʊ li)adj. -li•er, -li•est,
adv. adj.
1. humble in station, condition, or nature: a lowly cottage.
2. low in growth or position.
3. humble in attitude, behavior, or spirit; meek.
adv. 4. in a low position, manner, or degree: a lowly placed shelf.
5. humbly.
6. in a quiet voice: to converse lowly.
[1300–50]
low′li•ly, adv.
low′li•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
low
– lowly1. 'low'
Low can be an adjective or an adverb.
Something that is low measures a short distance from the bottom to the top.
...a low brick wall.
...low hills.
You also say that something is low when it is very close to the ground.
She made a low curtsey.
He bumped his head on the low beams.
You can use low as an adverb to say that something moves close to the ground. For example, you can say 'He bowed low'.
I asked him to fly low over the beach.
Low also means 'small in amount, value, or degree'.
...workers on low incomes.
...low expectations.
Low is not an adverb with this meaning, except in front of paid.
We must make low-paid work more attractive than welfare.
Like the adjective, the adverb low has the comparative and superlative forms lower, lowest.
In a series of quick, jerky movements he bent lower and lower.
...the lowest paid workers in the country.
2. 'lowly'
Lowly is an adjective. It is a literary word meaning 'low in rank, status, or importance'.
...a lowly employee.
...his lowly social origins.
The comparative and superlative forms of lowly are lowlier and lowliest.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. |  lowly - low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"inferior - of or characteristic of low rank or importance |
| 2. | lowly - inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary" junior - younger; lower in rank; shorter in length of tenure or service | |
| 3. |  lowly - used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)unskilled - not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency; "unskilled in the art of rhetoric"; "an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber"; "unskilled labor"; "workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities"; "unskilled workmanship" | |
| 4. |  lowly - of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"lowborn - of humble birth or origins; "a topsy-turvy society of lowborn rich and blue-blooded poor" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
lowly
adjective
1. lowborn, obscure, subordinate, inferior, mean, proletarian, ignoble, plebeian lowly bureaucrats pretending to be senators
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
lowly
adjective1. Lacking high station or birth:
Archaic: base.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُتَواضِع، وَضيع
nízký
underordnet
lágt settur
alçak gönüllüastküçük rütbeli
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
lowly
[ˈləʊli] adj → humble, modestelow-lying [ˌləʊˈlaɪɪŋ] adj [land] → à basse altitudelow-paid [ˌləʊˈpeɪd] adj [worker] → au salaire bas; [job] → peu rémunéré(e)low-pitched [ˌləʊˈpɪtʃt] adj (= deep) → bas(basse), grave
(= quiet) [voice] → bas(basse)low-powered [ˌləʊˈpaʊərd] adj → de faible puissancelow-pressure [ˌləʊˈprɛʃər] adj → à basse pressionlow-profile [ˌləʊˈprəʊfaɪl] adj → discret/ètelow-quality [ˌləʊˈkwɒlɪti] adj [goods] → de qualité inférieurelow-rent [ˌləʊˈrɛnt] adj
(of poor quality) → de second ordrelow-rise [ˌləʊˈraɪz] adj [flats, building] → bas(basse)low season (British)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
lowly
adj (+er) → bescheiden; position, birth also → niedrig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
low1
(ləu) adjective1. not at or reaching up to a great distance from the ground, sea-level etc. low hills; a low ceiling; This chair is too low for the child.
2. making little sound; not loud. She spoke in a low voice.
3. at the bottom of the range of musical sounds. That note is too low for a female voice.
4. small. a low price.
5. not strong; weak or feeble. The fire was very low.
6. near the bottom in grade, rank, class etc. low temperatures; the lower classes.
adverb in or to a low position, manner or state. The ball flew low over the net.
ˈlower verb1. to make or become less high. She lowered her voice.
2. to let down. He lowered the blinds.
ˈlowly adjective of low rank; humble.
ˈlowliness nounˈlow-down adjective
mean; contemptible. a low-down thief.
ˈlowland adjective of or concerning lowlands. lowland districts.
ˈlowlander noun a person who lives in the lowlands.
ˈlowlands noun plural land which is low compared with other, higher land.
ˈlow-lying adjective (of land) at a height not much above sea-level.
low-ˈtech noun technology using simple tools and unsophisticated equipment and methods.
adjectivelow-tech industries/skills.
low tide/water the time when the sea is lowest at a particular place during ebb-tide. There is three feet of water in the harbour, even at low water.
be low on not to have enough of. I'll have to go to the supermarket – we're low on coffee and sugar.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.