godly

god·ly
G2O1D2L1Y4
US/ˈɡɑdli/UK/ˈɡɒdli/

adjective

Of or pertaining to a god.

“her godly powers = her superhuman powers”

Similar
deificdivinegodlikegodfearingpiousblessedmoralworthy
OriginProto-Germanic *līką ← Proto-Indo-European *leyg- ← English god →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

godly1

adjectivegodly (comparative godlier or more godly, superlative godliest or most godly)

comparative godlier · comparative more godly · superlative godliest · superlative most godly

  1. Of or pertaining to a god.

    her godly powers = her superhuman powers

    Synonyms: deific, divine, godlike, deific, divine, godlike

  2. Devoted to a god or God; devout; holy; righteous.

    For godly sorrow worketh repentance.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Corinthians 7:10
    1 more example

    If you would know what a man is, whether he be a godly man or not, you must inquire what his God is. If the true God be he whom he respects as his God, [...] he is doubtless a godly man [...] if the man have some other god, something else to which he pays a greater respect than to Jehovah, he is not a godly man ...

    1809, Jonathan Edwards, The Works of President Edwards

    Synonyms: godfearing, pious, blessed, divine, moral, worthy, Allah-fearing, devout

  3. Gloriously good.

godly2

adverbgodly (comparative more godly, superlative most godly)

comparative more godly · superlative most godly

  1. In a godly manner; piously; devoutly; righteously.

    All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. — 2. Tim. iii. 12.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or pertaining to a god.

Similar
deificdivinegodlikedeificdivinegodlike

adjectiveDevoted to a god or God; devout; holy; righteous.

Similar
godfearingpiousblesseddivinemoralworthyAllah-fearingdevoutdevoutfulfrumgodfearingheavenly-mindedinwardobservantpiouspiteouspracticingreligionarysainted

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveshowing great reverence for god

Similar
reverentworshipfulpious

adjectiveemanating from God

Similar
divineheavenly
Also see
allah-fearingblesseddeificdevoutdevoutfuldivinefrumgodfearinghallowedheavenlyheavenly-mindedholyinwardobservantpiouspiteouspracticingreligionaryreverentsacredsacrosanctsaintedsanctimoniousworshipful

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

godly · adjective

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰew-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰutós?
  3. Proto-Germanic*gudą
  4. Proto-West Germanic*god
  5. Old Englishgod
  6. Middle Englishgod
  7. Englishgod
  8. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  9. Proto-Germanic*līką
  10. Englishgodly

From god + -ly (adjectival suffix).

Full word history & related roots →

godly · adverb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰew-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰutós?
  3. Proto-Germanic*gudą
  4. Proto-West Germanic*god
  5. Old Englishgod
  6. Middle Englishgod
  7. Englishgod
  8. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  9. Proto-Germanic*līką
  10. Englishgodly

From god + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِلٰهِيّ
  • إِلٰهِيّ (ʔilāhiyy)of or pertaining to a god
Bengali এলাহী
  • এলাহী (elahi)of or pertaining to a god
Bulgarian бо́жи, боже́ствен
  • бо́жи (bóži)of or pertaining to a god
  • боже́ствен (božéstven)of or pertaining to a god
  • на́божен (nábožen)devoted to a god or God
  • благочести́в (blagočestív)devoted to a god or God
Chinese Mandarin 神的, 神般的
  • 神的 (shén de)of or pertaining to a god
  • 神般的 (shén bān de)of or pertaining to a god
  • 虔誠 /虔诚 (qiánchéng)devoted to a god or God
  • 敬神 (jìngshén)devoted to a god or God
  • 光榮 /光荣 (guāngróng)gloriously good
Czech božský, boží
  • božskýof or pertaining to a god
  • božíof or pertaining to a god
Finnish jumalallinen, jumalinen
  • jumalallinenof or pertaining to a god
  • jumalinendevoted to a god or God
  • jumalainengloriously good
French divin, pieux
  • divinof or pertaining to a god
  • pieuxdevoted to a god or God
  • divingloriously good
German göttlich, fromm
  • göttlichof or pertaining to a god
  • frommdevoted to a god or God
  • rechtschaffengloriously good
Greek θεϊκός, ευσεβής
  • θεϊκός (theïkós)of or pertaining to a god
  • ευσεβής (efsevís)devoted to a god or God
  • θεϊκός (theïkós)gloriously good
Irish diaga, diaganta
  • diagaof or pertaining to a god
  • diagantadevoted to a god or God
  • cráifeachdevoted to a god or God
Lithuanian dieviškas, dieviškas
  • dieviškasof or pertaining to a god
  • dieviškasgloriously good
Polish boski, boży
  • boskiof or pertaining to a god
  • bożyof or pertaining to a god
  • pobożnydevoted to a god or God
  • boskigloriously good
Russian боже́ственный, бо́жий
  • боже́ственный (božéstvennyj)of or pertaining to a god
  • бо́жий (bóžij)of or pertaining to a god
  • на́божный (nábožnyj)devoted to a god or God
  • боже́ственный (božéstvennyj)gloriously good
Slovak boží, božský
  • božíof or pertaining to a god
  • božskýof or pertaining to a god
Spanish deal
  • dealof or pertaining to a god
Swedish gudomlig, gudfruktig
  • gudomligof or pertaining to a god
  • gudfruktigdevoted to a god or God
  • gudomliggloriously good
Ukrainian боже́ственний, бо́жий
  • боже́ственний (božéstvennyj)of or pertaining to a god
  • бо́жий (bóžyj)of or pertaining to a god

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with godly

oddly
All rhymes →

Anagrams

goldyGloyddogly
Cite this entry
APA

godly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godly

MLA

“godly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “godly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/godly.

Source: godly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.