wantonly

English

Etymology

From Middle English wantounly, wantounliche, equivalent to wanton +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adverb

wantonly (comparative more wantonly, superlative most wantonly)

1. in a wanton manner.
   • 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, II.ii:

     Undoubtedly Madam—and it has always been a sentiment of mine—that to propagate a malicious Truth wantonly—is more despicable than to falsify from Revenge […]

   • 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VII, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume I, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 166:

     I believe that I have no enemy on earth, and none surely would have been so wicked as to destroy me wantonly.

See also

• wontedly