inwardly
Americanadverb
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in or on, or with reference to, the inside or inner part; internally.
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privately; secretly.
Inwardly, he disliked his guest.
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within the self; mentally or spiritually.
Look inwardly to discover the truth.
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in low or soft tones; not aloud.
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toward the inside, interior, or center.
adverb
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within the private thoughts or feelings; secretly
inwardly troubled, he kept smiling
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not aloud
to laugh inwardly
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with reference to the inside or inner part; internally
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archaic intimately; essentially
the most inwardly concerned of the plotters
Etymology
Origin of inwardly
First recorded before 1000; Middle English inwardli, Old English inweardlīce; inward, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cooper, do you see your character here as an extension of what you were doing in “Licorice Pizza”? It’s this guy who outwardly has a lot of game, but then inwardly is struggling.
From Los Angeles Times
"I'm inwardly happy, but if there was a game next week it would be a tough review and there would be a lot of things to improve."
From BBC
"I probably didn't show it, but inwardly I was obviously very happy," he said.
From BBC
Byrne’s Beckett may be less austere, outwardly and inwardly, than the author’s prevailing image.
From Los Angeles Times
The show had turned him into a celebrity and he received 10 million yen in compensation, but inwardly he still felt shattered and alone.
From New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
