different between pulchritudinous vs comely

English

Etymology

Latin pulchrit?d? (“pulchritude”) +? -ous, from pulcher (“beautiful”) + -t?d?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?lk???tju?d?n?s/

Adjective

pulchritudinous (comparative more pulchritudinous, superlative most pulchritudinous)

1. (literary) Having great physical beauty.
   • 1994, Orson Scott Card, The Ships of Earth [1]:

     But Shedemei had long since grown out of her adolescent jealousy of pulchritudinous girls.

   • 1966, Robert A. Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress [2]:

     “The first example in each series,” Mike offered, “would be, on the basis of my associational analyses of such data, of such pulchritudinous value as to please any healthy, mature human male.”

   • 1998, Carole Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Flamingo Fedora [3]:

     “I had standing instructions to let any pulchritudinous females into Mr. Cooke’s dressing room,” Mike admitted.

     “Pulchritudinous? He really said that?”

     “No, I said that.”

Synonyms

• comely

Derived terms

• pulchritudinously

Related terms

• pulchritude

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• cumlie, comly (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English comly, cumly, cumlich, from Old English cyml??, c?ml?? (compare Old English c?me (“fine, exquisite”), from Proto-Germanic *k?miz (“delicate”)), from Proto-Germanic *k?mal?kaz (“pitiful, dear”). Cognate with Middle Dutch komlick, komelick, Middle High German komel?h, gomel?h.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?mli/

Adjective

comely (comparative comelier or more comely, superlative comeliest or most comely)

1. (dated, of a person) Pleasing or attractive to the eye.

   Synonym: pulchritudinous

   Antonym: (of a person) homely

   • , "Adam in Paradise"

     He that is comely when old and decrepit, surely was very beautiful when he was young.
2. (archaic) Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable.

Derived terms

• comeliness

Translations

Anagrams

• Comley