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Definition of grandfatherly
grandfatherly
/ˈɡrændˌfɑːðərli/
grand · fa · ther · ly
grandfatherly Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
7
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
Syllables
4
grandfatherly Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• adjective
1
Characteristic of or resembling a grandfather, especially in being kindly, protective, patient, or benign.
Example
"The retired professor offered some grandfatherly advice to the nervous first-year students."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for grandfatherly Antonyms
View all antonyms for grandfatherlyWord Nuance & Usage
Despite ending in '-ly', 'grandfatherly' is an adjective rather than an adverb. To express an adverbial meaning, speakers use a prepositional phrase such as 'in a grandfatherly manner'.
• Nearby Words
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Grandfatherly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/grandfatherly