Learning suffixes is an easy way to quickly increase your English vocabulary. This post will explain how to use the suffix LY with lots of examples. Learn how to make new adverbs and adjectives to help you communicate naturally in English.
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You will find lots of real example sentences that use words with the Suffix -ly, a video for listening practice, and a PDF word list that you can print and study offline anytime you like. For other teachers, this can be helpful to use in your own English classes. Keep reading.
In adverbs , the Suffix -ly means: in the way mentioned
*Remember that adverbs are used to modify verbs , adjectives , and even other adverbs .
Below is a list of adverbs ending in the suffix -ly
accidentally – by chance; in a way that was not planned
adamantly – in a way that shows you are determined not to change your mind or to be persuaded about something
angrily – in a way that shows you have strong feelings about something that you dislike very much or about an unfair situation
anxiously – in a worried or nervous way
badly – without skill or care/not successfully/not in an acceptable way
beautifully – in a beautiful way/very well; in a way that pleases you
boldly – in a brave, confident way; without being afraid to say what you feel or to take risks
bravely – in a way that shows courage
carefully – with a lot of attention or thought, so that you avoid hurting yourself, damaging something or doing something wrong
correctly – in a way that is accurate or true, without any mistakes
dangerously – in a way that is likely to harm or injure somebody, or to damage or destroy something
eagerly – in a way that shows great interest and excitement about something that is going to happen or about something that you want to do
easily – without problems or difficulty
effortlessly – in a way that needs little or no effort, and that seems easy
This adverb is made from the adjective effortless. Effortless is the noun EFFORT plus the Suffix -LESS. You can do a deeper study into this suffix and my blood post here >> Adjectives with the Suffix -less (79 Examples, Free PDF Download, Video)
evenly – in a smooth, regular or equal way
eventually – at the end of a period of time or a series of events
finally – after a long time, especially when there has been some difficulty or delay
foolishly – in a way that shows a lack of good sense or judgment
This adverb is made from the adjective foolish. Foolish is the noun FOOL plus the Suffix -ISH. You can do a deeper study into this suffix and my blood post here >> Your complete guide to the Suffix -ISH (Video + FREE Quiz/worksheet Download)
generally – by or to most people/in most cases
gently – in a way that is soft and light, not strong, extreme or violent (in a gentle way)
*LAID is the past tense of the verb LAY. The verbs LAY and LIE are often confused. (LAY is the past tense of LIE!) Master these verbs by reading my blog post >> LIE or LAY? All Tenses (Easy to remember tips, PDF, Video)
gladly – willingly/happily; with thanks
gracefully – in an attractive way that shows control; showing a smooth, attractive form
greatly – (usually before a verb or participle) very much
happily – in a cheerful way; with feelings of pleasure
Did you know the adjective HAPPY is the old English word HAP + the suffix Y? Learn more at my Suffix -Y blog post >> Learn The English Suffix -y (60 examples + Free PDF download + Video)
highly – very/at or to a high standard, level or amount/with great respect or praise
honestly – in an honest way
hungrily – in a way that shows you want to eat something/in a way that shows you have a strong desire for something
importantly – used for saying that something is important
ironically – in a way that shows that you really mean the opposite of what you are saying; in a way that expresses irony
loudly – in a way that makes a lot of noise
lovely – beautiful; attractive (comparative lovelier, superlative loveliest)
lowly – low in status or importance
massively – to a very large degree or extent; extremely
naturally – in a way that you would expect/without special help, treatment or action by somebody/in a way that shows or uses abilities or qualities that a person or an animal is born with
originally – used to describe the situation that existed at the beginning of a particular period or activity, especially before something was changed
necessarily – used to say that something cannot be avoided
normally – usually; in normal circumstances
partially – partly; not completely
perfectly – completely/in a perfect way
practically – almost; very nearly/in a realistic or sensible way; in real situations
pragmatically – in a practical and sensible way rather than relying on fixed ideas or theories
proudly – in a way that shows that somebody is proud of something
purposefully – in a way that has a useful purpose; with a clear aim and determination
quickly – fast/soon; after a short time
quietly – in a way that makes very little noise
roughly – approximately but not exactly/using force or not being careful and gentle
sadly – in a sad way/unfortunately/very much and in a way that makes you sad
separately – as a separate person or thing; not together
shortly – a short time; not long
simply – used to emphasize how easy something is/in a way that is easy to understand
smoothly – in an even way, without suddenly stopping and starting again
stupidly – in a way that shows a lack of thought or good judgment
suddenly – quickly and unexpectedly (in a sudden way)
thankfully – used to show that you are pleased that something good has happened or that something bad has been avoided/in a pleased or grateful way
wrongly – in a way that is not right or correct
hourly – every hour
daily – every day
weekly – every week
monthly – every month
yearly – every year
annually – once a year
quarterly – every quarter (A quarter is 3 months [¼ of a year.])
(in adjectives ) having the qualities of
*Remember that adjectives are used to modify nouns .
Below is a list of adjectives ending in the suffix -ly
costly – causing problems or the loss of something
cowardly – not brave; not having the courage to do things that other people do not think are especially difficult/(of an action) carried out against a person who is unable to fight back
deadly – causing or likely to cause death (comparative deadlier, superlative deadliest)
friendly – behaving in a kind and pleasant way because you like somebody or want to help them (comparative friendlier, superlative friendliest)
likely – having a good chance of happening or being something; probable or expected (comparative likelier, superlative likeliest)
lively – full of life and energy; active and enthusiastic/of a place, an event, etc.) full of interest or excitement (comparative livelier, superlative liveliest)
manly – having the qualities or physical features that are admired or expected in a man (comparative manlier, superlative manliest)
scholarly – (of a person) spending a lot of time studying and having a lot of knowledge about an academic subject/connected with academic study
timely – happening at exactly the right time
All of these adjectives are modifying a noun .
hourly – done or happening every hour
daily – done or happening every day
weekly – done or happening every week
monthly – done or happening every month
yearly – done or happening every year
quarterly – done or happening every quarter (A quarter is 3 months [¼ of a year.])
Download your printable PDF Word List below. (It’s FREE!) PDFs contain the live links from the post.↓
Check out these other great Prefix/Suffix English blog posts.
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