lowly

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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

lowly
1. '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:
Adj.1.lowly - low or inferior in station or qualitylowly - 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)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)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
2. unpretentious, common, poor, average, simple, ordinary, plain, modest, homespun He started out as a lowly photographer.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

lowly

adjective
1. Lacking high station or birth:
Archaic: base.
2. Of little distinction:
3. Having or expressing feelings of humility:
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

lowly

[ˈləʊlɪ] ADJ (lowlier (compar) (lowliest (superl))) → humilde
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] adjhumble, 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] adjde faible puissancelow-pressure [ˌləʊˈprɛʃər] adjà basse pressionlow-profile [ˌləʊˈprəʊfaɪl] adjdiscret/ètelow-quality [ˌləʊˈkwɒlɪti] adj [goods] → de qualité inférieurelow-rent [ˌləʊˈrɛnt] adj
[housing] → à loyer modéré
(of poor quality)de second ordrelow-rise [ˌləʊˈraɪz] adj [flats, building] → bas(basse)low season (British)
nbasse saison f
in the low season → en basse saison
modif [rates, holiday] → pendant la basse saisonlow-slung [ˌləʊˈslʌŋ] adj
[chair] → bas(basse)
[sports car] → surbaissé(e)low-tar [ˌləʊˈtɑːr] adj [cigarette] → à faible teneur en goudronlow-tech [ˌləʊˈtɛk] adjsommairelow tide nmarée f basse
at low tide → à marée basselow water nmarée f basselow-water mark nlaisse f de basse mer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

lowly

adj (+er)bescheiden; position, birth alsoniedrig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

lowly

[ˈləʊlɪ] adjmodesto/a, umile
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

low1

(ləu) adjective
1. 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 verb
1. 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 noun
ˈlow-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.
adjective
low-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.
References in classic literature ?
It is not the honest man, but the man of honor, who shines in his page; his meek folk are proudly meek, and there is a touch of superiority, a glint of mundane splendor, in his lowliest. He rails at the order of things, but he imagines nothing different, even when he shows that its baseness, and cruelty, and hypocrisy are well-nigh inevitable, and, for most of those who wish to get on in it, quite inevitable.
Shall we speak of the inspiration of a poet or a priest, and not of the heart impelled by love and self-devotion to the lowliest work in the lowliest way of life!
With what strange facility had Providence just reversed the loftiest fortune of the world to substitute the lowliest in its stead!
This would give me a chance to eat and lodge with the lowliest and poorest class of free citizens on equal terms.
Silently the Queen had listened, but now, rising and placing her hand on little Violet's head, she said, turning to the throng below:-- "We in our pride and power have erred, while this, the weakest and lowliest of our subjects, has from the innocence of her own pure heart counselled us more wisely than the noblest of our train.
"The man who would fain civilize the lowliest spot on earth needs something besides wealth for the task.
When canal boys and rail-splitters, the lowliest of the stupid lowly, as she had read in her school history, could find their way out and become presidents of the nation and rule over even the clever ones in their automobiles, then could she find her way out and win to the tiny reward she craved--Billy, a little love, a little happiness.
To quote some Latin verses I have forgotten, or rather, never knew well, `the thunderbolt never falls on the valleys,' and I am a valley, dear Rochefort, -- one of the lowliest of the low."
How shall we make the mansion on yon Beacon Street feel and see the need of the spirits in the lowliest cabin in Alabama cotton-fields or Louisiana sugar-bottoms?
"You would dare lay your low, vile, profaning hands upon even the lowliest of the Wieroos--the sacred chosen of Luata!"
Thus they in lowliest plight repentant stood Praying, for from the Mercie-seat above Prevenient Grace descending had remov'd The stonie from thir hearts, and made new flesh Regenerat grow instead, that sighs now breath'd Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer Inspir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight Then loudest Oratorie: yet thir port Not of mean suiters, nor important less Seem'd thir Petition, then when th' ancient Pair In Fables old, less ancient yet then these, DEUCALION and chaste PYRRHA to restore The Race of Mankind drownd, before the Shrine Of THEMIS stood devout.
"To the man who loves art for its own sake," remarked Sherlock Holmes, tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the Daily Telegraph, "it is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived.