purely

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
11
Words With Friends
13
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/ˈpjʊəli/
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈpjʊəli/ · /ˈpjɔːli/ · /ˈpjʊɹli/

Definition of purely

5 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

adv

  1. (US, regional)Wholly; really, completely.
    “I am fascinated by the entire scene, I purely am.”
See all 5 definitions

adv

  1. (US, regional)Wholly; really, completely.
    “I am fascinated by the entire scene, I purely am.”
  2. Solely; exclusively; merely, simply.
    “The IRA should "lead by example" and "unilaterally" abandon paramilitary violence and adopt a purely political strategy, a leading Sinn Féin MP urged yesterday.”
    “"But this meal tonight is not a date, not in the traditional sense. It's purely platonic, I assure you."”
  3. Chastely, innocently; in a sinless manner, without fault.
    “faith and troth, / Strain'd purely from all hollow bias drawing: / Bids thee with most diuine integritie, / From heart of very heart, great Hector welcome.”
  4. (archaic)Without physical adulterants; refinedly, with no admixture.
    “By some means or other the water flows purely, and separated from the filth, in a deeper and narrower course on one side of the rock, and the refuse of the dirt and troubled water goes off on the other in a broader current [...].”

adj

  1. (dialectal, predicative)Well, in good health.
    “My Dame (who was an utter ſtranger to all that had paſſed between the young Squire and her daughter) was exceeding glad to ſee him look ſo purely after his journey, and all the young fry ſwarmed about him, for the ſake of the halfpence they had ſo often ſcrambled for; […]”
    ““I am no patient at all, ma’am, and have no patience either;—I am as well as you are, or my lady Dashfort either, and hope, God willing, long to continue so.” […] “Long, long, I hope, to continue so, if Heaven grants my daily and nightly prayers, and my lady Dashfort’s also. So, Mr. Reynolds, if the ladies’ prayers are of any avail, you ought to be purely, and I suppose ladies’ prayers have the precedency in efficacy.[…]””
    “On entering the cottage, she […] began to inquire after the health of the family. “They be all purely, thank ye, Miss,” said the woman; “and, as I tell my good man, I make no doubt but we shall do very well again, after a bit.””
    “PURELY, Quite well. “How’s thy mam?” “Purely thank ye.””

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English purely, equivalent to pure + -ly.

Anagrams of purely

1 play · some not in Scrabble

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