grandmotherly

[ gran-muhth-er-lee, grand-, gram- ]

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a grandmother.

Other Words From

• grandmother·li·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandmotherly¹

First recorded in 1835–45; grandmother + -ly

Example Sentences

Her grandmotherly Sunja wears an unbothered determination fiercely throughout the season, especially when a shameful insult to which she’s subjected gives rise to an unexpected friendship that’s both affirming and potentially renewing.

From Salon

Pairing with Snoop helped put the fastidious chef and crafter in front of a younger, hipper audience, while the grandmotherly Stewart assisted in making the rapper approachable for a wider range of consumers.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite Hollywood’s obsession with youth, Squibb is encouraged by the variety of roles she‘s being offered, which go well beyond the stereotypical grandmotherly type. “Eleanor is very different from Thelma, and God knows they’re both different from the leprechaun,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times

One Sunday, after I’d spent much of my day on a solo bike ride in the hills above Malibu, my grandmotherly neighbor, Gail, greeted me at the curb.“I noticed you don’t spend much time together,” she said, nodding in the direction of Paul’s white pickup parked in the driveway.

From Los Angeles Times

But her relative anonymity, squeaky clean record and affectionate grandmotherly air have fast become part of her appeal.

From Seattle Times

More About Grandmotherly

What does grandmotherly mean?

Grandmotherly is an adjective that most commonly means like a grandmother. It’s especially used in a positive way to describe someone as being kind, nurturing, and protective—like a good grandmother who loves and cares for her grandchild(ren).

Describing someone as grandmotherly often implies that they listen and give good advice—it’s perhaps most commonly used in the phrase grandmotherly advice. 

Grandmotherly is most often used to describe grandmothers themselves, but it can be applied to someone who’s not a grandmother, as in After my grandmother died, I started relying on my Great Aunt Jane for grandmotherly support. 

Grandmotherly is one of many similar adjectives based on family relations, including motherly, fatherly, grandfatherly, brotherly, and sisterly.

Example: Many of my most important life lessons came in the form of grandmotherly advice from my kindly Grandma Rose.

Where does grandmotherly come from?

The word grandmotherly has been used since at least the 1700s. The suffix -ly is often used to form adverbs, but in the case of grandmotherly it means “like” (i.e., like a grandmother).

The common meaning of grandmotherly is based not on any grandmother but on a good grandmother, one who is kind and supportive. The phrase grandmotherly advice typically refers to advice that’s wise, comes from experience, and is intended to help you be the best you can be. Such advice can come from your actual grandmother or from someone who treats you in a grandmotherly way.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for grandmotherly?

• grandmotherlike

What are some words that share a root or word element with grandmotherly? 

 

• grandmother
• motherly
• fatherly
• grandfatherly
• brotherly
• sisterly

What are some words that often get used in discussing grandmotherly?

• advice
• counsel
• support
• talk
• kind
• patient
• wise
• supportive
• loving

How is grandmotherly used in real life?

Grandmotherly is usually used in a positive way to describe a woman or something she does as being like a good grandmother. It can be applied to grandmothers or people who are not grandmothers.

Grandmotherly advice: in life, as in knitting, there's no shame in starting over and trying again. Sometimes things work out better that way

— west i guess (@melodypanea) December 16, 2016

There’s a grandmotherly greeter at Sam’s Club who always says how gorgeous I am.

But I’m not gorgeous, and I’m sure she says it to many others- but it kind of makes me not dread shopping as much.

A reminder that compliments can be like a thin ray of sun on a cloudy day.

— Skjaldmaer (@Skjaldmaer1) October 29, 2020

Get some sound (and tough) grandmotherly advice in an extract from @SalleyVickers’ new novel #Grandmothers—an incredibly human and beautifully observed story of three elderly women’s relationships with each other and the younger generations @VikingBooksUK: https://t.co/ZSEMcV04rk pic.twitter.com/rYILxMfl6F

— Foyles Bookshop (@Foyles) November 9, 2019

 

Try using grandmotherly!

Which of the following actions could be described as grandmotherly?

A. giving you good advice
B. comforting you
C. cheering you on
D. all of the above