Meanings
comparative richlier · comparative more richly · superlative richliest · superlative most richly
- In a luxurious manner; full of majesty or expression:
- In an attractive or manner; full of colour or detail.
1 more example
She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid,[…]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC - In a manner that occupies the non-visual senses; flavourfully, deeply.
- Done advantageously, done as to be wealthy.
- Thoroughly, totally; in an ample manner.
a richly deserved comeuppance
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbto an ample degree or in an ample manner
adverbin a rich manner
adverbin a rich and lavish manner
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*rīkijalīkô
- Proto-West Germanic*rīkīlīkō
- Old Englishrīċlīċe
- Middle Englishrichely
- Englishrichly
Inherited from Middle English richely, from Old English rīċlīċe, from Proto-West Germanic *rīkīlīkō, from Proto-Germanic *rīkijalīkô; by surface analysis, rich + -ly (adverbial suffix).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek λίπα
- λίπα (lípa)in a luxurious manner
Bulgarian богато, разкошно
- богато (bogato)in a luxurious manner
- разкошно (razkošno)in a luxurious manner
Esperanto riĉe
- riĉein a luxurious manner
Polish bogato
- bogatoin a luxurious manner
Portuguese ricamente
- ricamentein a luxurious manner
Romanian bogat, abundent
- bogatin a luxurious manner
- abundentin a luxurious manner
- din plinin a luxurious manner
Russian бога́то
- бога́то (bogáto)in a luxurious manner
Cite this entry
richly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/richly
“richly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/richly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “richly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/richly.
Source: richly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.