meekly
Americanadverb
-
in a humbly patient or quiet manner.
When addressing a lawyer during oral arguments, the judge often starts meekly with, "Counsel, may I interrupt?"
-
in an overly submissive or compliant manner.
Not knowing what we were getting into, we meekly agreed.
Other Word Forms
- overmeekly adverb
Etymology
Origin of meekly
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.
Maheesh Theekshana chipped the ball meekly to Jamie Overton off the rope at long-on.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
“That’s what the doctor says,” Ray J replied meekly, then seemingly grew frustrated as his friend talked loudly over him and insisted he was going to live long enough to see his children’s children.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
The question is whether the party now meekly succumbs to the browbeating:
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
Makeshift opener Travis Head smacked an explosive 69-ball century to power Australia to victory in a high-octane first Ashes Test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron.
From Barron's • Nov. 22, 2025
“But...I was supposed to help her,” I say meekly.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
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.
