ruly Synonyms & Antonyms
Choose a meaning, then find a word that fits your sentence.
Ruly as an Adjective
obedient, orderly
a ruly crowd
Pitiable; miserable.
Neat and orderly.
Ruly as an Adverb
Pitiably; miserably.
Ruly in a Sentence
a ruly crowd
Word Forms & Grammar
ruly
ruly (comparative rulier or more ruly, superlative ruliest or most ruly)
ruly (comparative rulier, superlative ruliest)
Origin of Ruly
Origin 1: back-formation from unruly
Origin 2: From Middle English rewely, from Old English hrēowlīċ (“grievous, pitiful, sad, wretched, cruel”), equivalent to rue + -ly.
Origin 3: From Middle English rewely, from Old English hrēowlīċe (“cruelly”), equivalent to rue + -ly.
Origin 4: Back-formation from unruly, or perhaps a continuation of Middle English rewly, ruly, reuli (“subject to a religious rule, regular”), equivalent to rule + -ly, rule + -y; or perhaps from Old French rulé, reulé, rieulé (“ruled”), past participle of rieuler (“to rule”). More at rule.
First Known Use
15th century
Ruly in Brief
| Part of speech | adjective, adverb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈrü-lē/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Meaning | obedient, orderly |
| Comparative / superlative | rulier, ruliest |
Ruly Pronunciation
Ruly is pronounced /ˈrü-lē/ and has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (rü).