meanly
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English meneli, meneliche, equivalent to mean + -ly.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adverb
[edit]meanly (comparative meanlier or more meanly, superlative meanliest or most meanly)
- Humbly, of or from low social status; basely. [from 16th c.]
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 2:
- Iphicrates and Marius were meanly born.
- Poorly or inadequately. [from 16th c.]
- In a mean manner; ill-willed, nastily. [from 17th c.]
- He meanly refused to ever make a charitable donation.