lowly
/ˈloʊli/adjective, adverb
lowly is spelled L-O-W-L-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, lowly means “Not high; not elevated in place; low” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lowly?
| Letters | 5: L-O-W-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,356th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is lowly?
Lowly appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,356th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lowly?
- UK /ˈləʊli/
- US /ˈloʊli/
Lowly has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-lowly.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lowly?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as lowly from its last stressed vowel (/oʊli/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of lowly
- lowlier comparative
- lowliest superlative
- more lowly comparative
- most lowly superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lowly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not high; not elevated in place; low.
- 2
Low in rank or social importance.
- 3
Not lofty or sublime; humble.
- 4
Having a low esteem of one's own worth; humble; meek; free from pride.
adverb
- 1
In a low manner; humbly; meekly; modestly.
- 2
In a low condition; meanly.
- 3
At low pitch or volume.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lowly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | niedrig , einfach , bescheiden , demütig |
| French | humble |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lowly come from?
From low + -ly; compare Middle English lowly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).