Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

courtly

[ kawrt-lee, kohrt- ]

adjective

courtlier, courtliest.
  1. polite, refined, or elegant:

    courtly manners.

  2. flattering; obsequious.
  3. noting, pertaining to, or suitable for the court of a sovereign.


adverb

  1. in a courtly manner; politely or flatteringly.

courtly

/ ˈɔːٱɪ /

adjective

  1. of or suitable for a royal court
  2. refined in manner
  3. ingratiating
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈdzܰٱԱ, noun
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • dzܰl·Ա noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of courtly1

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; court, -ly
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bertie’s romantic relations are entirely sexless, 20th-century echoes of courtly love, though throughout the oeuvre he gets engaged to at least six women by my count.

From

The life-size portrait he produced is a whiz-bang spectacle of courtly pomp and dynastic circumstance.

From

And he is seen as "the courtly gentleman of the Marble Palace," as Time Magazine described him.

From

Best of all is the lively triple-time finale, which evokes the long history of courtly hunting music, with an alluring short section in minor key.

From

It’s not immediately apparent how courtly intrigue figures in “A Prince,” Pierre Creton’s spellbinding French pastoral drama, though sex, death and domination hang palpably in the film’s crisp, Normandy air.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


court-leetcourtly love