archly

American  

[ahrch-lee] / ˈɑrtʃ li /

adverb

1. in an arch or roguish manner.

---

Other Word Forms

• unarchly adverb

Etymology

Origin of archly

First recorded in 1655–65; arch ² + -ly

Explanation

If you say something archly, you express it in a teasing sort of way. When someone acts archly toward you, it might offend you a bit, or it might make you laugh. You act archly when you put on an affected style of speech, or say something that's playfully sarcastic. You might archly dismiss a teacher's criticism of your work or smile archly as you tease a friend. The adverb comes from the 1500s adjective arch, which originally meant "chief," but was so often used to describe a "knave" or "rogue" that by the 17th century it came to mean "mischievous" or "saucy."

Example Sentences

“They’re all comedies,” Stone says, archly, looking for Lanthimos’ reaction to her assessment of his oeuvre.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

As Ganz archly observed, “the word for the politics that makes a pastiche of past glories to create a new type of regime is ‘fascism.'”

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2025

The gentrifying Reagan years that followed gave rise to archly analytic work addressing institutional power.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

“I started seeing the orders roll in,” he said archly.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2022

“You keep dat up, Tea Cake, Ah’ll b’lieve yuh after while,” Janie said archly and fixed him back in bed.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston