sightly

From Middle English sightlye, equivalent to sight +‎ -ly. Cognate with German sichtlich (“visible”).

sightly (comparative sightlier, superlative sightliest) (archaic)

1. Attractive, pleasing to the eye; affording gratification to the sense of sight; aesthetically pleasing.
   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: , London: R Sare, , →OCLC:

     Many brave, sightly horses.

   • 1841, James Fenimore Cooper, The Deerslayer:

     Harry's sightly—yes, he's as sightly as the tallest pine of the mountains, and the Sarpent has named him accordingly; however, some fancy good looks, and some fancy good conduct, only.

   • 1988, Elizabeth Kata, A Patch of Blue:

     'Your face -ain't sightly,' said Ole Pa.

2. Offering a good view.
   • 1887, L.J. Critchfield, Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Ohio: Volume 9:

     […] yet the defendant wrongfully and unjustly intending to injure the plaintiff, and deprive him of his right to a free, safe, and unobstructed passage into and upon the said streets to and from his said lot, and to deprive him and his lot of the benefit and advantage of the sightly and elevated position of the lot and improvements […]

   • 1907, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Henry Hodgman Saylor, Country Life in America - Volume 13, page 361:

     30 acres land, situated high and sightly, commanding an unobstructed view of the surrounding country, […]

   • 1912, Supreme Court Appellate Division 2nd Dept Vol. 1547, page 697:

     Q. Would you consider land having an unobstructed view of one mile as having a sightly view, that is what you mean by sightly? A. Yes, it might be sightly.

   • 1923, Los Angeles School Journal - Volume 7, Issues 1-20, page 5:

     You will not have to wait for your ship to come in to buy one of these high and sightly lots commanding an unobstructed view of miles of the most beautiful coast line in California.

   • 1999, David Kaufman, Shul with a Pool, page 270:

     This is one of the most sightly locations in Boston for an imposing religious group having an unobstructed view from practically all directions.

3. Open to sight; conspicuous.
   • 1917, Eben Doublas Pierce, History of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin:

     In 1916 the people voted to have a High school and to build a new building which is now, 1917, completed and is a beautiful modern one-story brick building, known as Lincoln High school, located in the northeastern part of the village on a sightly spot known as Lincoln Hill.

   • 1922, Frank Moore Colby, Talcott Williams, The New International Encyclopaedia - Volume 15, page 702:

     There is also a soldiers' monument on a sightly situation on Grand Avenue.

   • 1924, Edward Church Smith, Philiip Mack Smith, Theodore Clarke Smith, A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts:

     He lived in the William Church, Jr., house which still occupies a sightly spot on West Hill.

• unsightly

• Lightys, slighty