ably
adverb
Simple meaning
In an able way.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aybleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈeɪbli
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
In an able manner; with great ability.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: In an able manner; with great ability.
While 'ably' means 'skillfully,' it sounds a bit more formal or old-fashioned than just saying 'skillfully' or 'well.' It's often paired with verbs describing performance, like 'performed ably' or 'responded ably.'
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Formal meeting notes
“She ably managed the complex project, exceeding expectations.”
Sports commentary
“The young athlete ably defended against the strong offense.”
Job performance review
“He has ably handled all assigned tasks this quarter.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “ably” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.