lowly meaning and definition

LOWLY adjective

Definition of lowly (adjective)

1. low or inferior in station or quality
   • "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"
   • synonyms: humble, low, modest, small
2. inferior in rank or status
   • "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary"
   • synonyms: junior-grade, lower-ranking, petty, secondary, subaltern
3. used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)
   • synonyms: humble, menial
4. of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)
   • "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"
   • synonyms: base, baseborn, humble