cleanly
/ˈkliːnli/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.02 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Being habitually clean, practising good hygiene.
adv
Not causing a mess or unnecessary damage.
adv
Innocently; without stain.
adv
Example Sentences
- "I'l now lead you to an honeſt Ale-houſe, where we ſhall find a cleanly room, Lavender in the windowes, and twenty Ballads ſtuck about the wall; […]"
- "[H]is lov'd partner boaſtful of her hoard, Diſplays the cleanly platter on the board; […]"
- "There were some flat slabs of rock in the centre, with an excellent well close by, and there we sat in cleanly comfort while we made our first plans for the invasion of this new country."
- "He was white in colour, and had golden teeth, and he sat upon the clouds, occupying all the space above. Being of a very cleanly habit, he was constantly rubbing himself in order to preserve the whiteness of his skin unsullied."
- "In our Fantaſtic Climes the Fair / With cleanly Powder dry their Hair: […]"
- "Yet at the laſt (ſo well he him applyde,) / Through his fine handling, and cleanly play, / He all thoſe royall ſignes had ſtolne away, / And with the Foxes helpe them borne aſide, / Into a ſecret corner vneſpide."
Etymology
From Middle English clenly, clenliche, clanly, from Old English clǣnlīċ (“cleanly, pure, excellent”), equivalent to clean + -ly.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: clenly, clǣnlīċ, clǣnlīċe
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkliːnli/
- British English: /ˈkliːnli/
Usage
Inflected Forms
cleanlier (comparative)
more cleanly (comparative)
cleanliest (superlative)
most cleanly (superlative)
clenly (alternative)