ruly

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹuːli/
• Hyphenation: ru‧ly
• Rhymes: -uːli

From Middle English rewly, ruly, rewely, reweliche, from Old English hrēowlīċ (“grievous, pitiful, sad, wretched, cruel”), equivalent to rue +‎ -ly.

ruly (comparative rulier or more ruly, superlative ruliest or most ruly)

1. Pitiable; miserable.

From Middle English rewly, reoly, reowliche, from Old English hrēowlīċe (“cruelly”), equivalent to rue +‎ -ly.

ruly (comparative rulier or more ruly, superlative ruliest or most ruly)

1. Pitiably; miserably.

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.

ruly (comparative rulier, superlative ruliest)

1. neat and orderly
   • 1994 July 25, Jack Winter, “How I met my wife”, in The New Yorker:

     So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.