godly

/ˈɡɒdli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɑːdli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgäd-lē/ (ame, mw)

godly — adjective

  • godlypositive
  • godliercomparative
  • godliestsuperlative

1. describes a person whose daily behaviour, choices, and habits faithfully follow

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a person whose daily behaviour, choices, and habits faithfully follow what their religion teaches.

例句

Obi was raised in a godly household where everyone prayed together before each meal.

attributive: a godly [noun]

The villagers respected the old priest for leading a quiet, godly life in the mountains.

collocation: lead a godly life

同義詞
  • pious

    near-synonym; can carry a faint hint of showy religiousness

  • devout

    more neutral and widely used in everyday formal writing

  • righteous

    stresses moral correctness more than religious practice

反義詞
  • ungodly

    direct opposite; describes behaviour religion disapproves of

  • wicked

    stronger moral condemnation, less narrowly religious

用法筆記

Almost always attributive (before a noun) and tied to monotheistic, usually Christian, religious contexts. Rarely used after 'be' in casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌My yoga teacher is very godly about her morning stretches.
✅My yoga teacher is very devoted to her morning stretches.
💡'godly' is about religious devotion, not strong dedication to any activity.

2. describes a quality, action, or power that is believed to come directly from God

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describes a quality, action, or power that is believed to come directly from God rather than from human beings.

例句

Christopher spoke of a godly wisdom that no scholar could ever learn from books alone.

collocation: godly wisdom / power / love

The poem describes the godly light that supposedly filled the cave during the saint's vision.

同義詞
  • divine

    the standard everyday word for this meaning; far more common than 'godly'

  • heavenly

    softer and more poetic; emphasises the source as paradise

  • sacred

    stresses being set apart for worship, not necessarily from God directly

反義詞
  • earthly

    of this world and human life, not from a divine source

  • mortal

    belonging to humans who die; opposite of divine origin

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes a quality or power attributed to God, not a person's religious behaviour. Almost only seen in religious writing, poetry, or sermons.