meekly

[meek-lee]

adverb

1. in a humbly patient or quiet manner.

   When addressing a lawyer during oral arguments, the judge often starts meekly with, "Counsel, may I interrupt?"

2. in an overly submissive or compliant manner.

   Not knowing what we were getting into, we meekly agreed.

Other Word Forms

• overmeekly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of meekly¹

meek ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

What sort of precedent would it set if Newcastle were to meekly wave off a player with three years left on his contract, especially to the champions?

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Once again, they let a winnable game go meekly by the wayside.

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Then, the top of the order couldn’t get the ball out of the infield in the sixth inning, meekly disappearing on 13 pitches.

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Rudakubana ended his rampage meekly, dropping his kitchen knife and surrounding to the police without a word.

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Security Council, additional sanctions are a pipe dream for the foreseeable future, while those on the books already are meekly enforced.

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Related Words

• delicately 
• indifferently www.thesaurus.com
• lightly 
• moderately 
• quietly