Words of Positivity
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Goodly

adj.hopeful, joyfulliterary

What it means

Considerable, attractive, or admirable in amount or quality.

Reach for it when using an old-fashioned word for a pleasingly substantial quantity

The orchard produced a goodly supply of plums.

Choose between these

6
  • playful

    quite a haul

    informal speech celebrates a large collection or yield

    not when The phrase fits gathered goods and not abstract merit or beauty.

  • everyday

    sizeable

    plain language should mark notable extent

    not when Sizeable is descriptive and says nothing about quality.

  • warm

    ample

    there is comfortably enough for the purpose

    not when Ample concerns sufficiency, while goodly may simply mean large.

  • professional

    substantial

    amount or importance is measurably significant

    not when Substantial is neutral and lacks goodly's approving traditional flavor.

  • formal

    considerable

    the quantity deserves notice without exact measurement

    not when Considerable does not itself say the amount is welcome.

  • literary

    handsome

    an amount is pleasingly generous or appearance is well proportioned

    not when Handsome is idiomatic only with certain nouns and can sound dated.

Said against

3
  • meager
  • paltry
  • small

It naturally appears in

3
  • goodly number

    A goodly number of residents attended despite the rain.

  • goodly sum

    The concert raised a goodly sum for roof repairs.

  • goodly supply

    A goodly supply of apples remained for the community kitchen.

Usage notes

Goodly is old-fashioned and sometimes ambiguous between attractive and large. Substantial or ample is usually clearer.