meanly
1 Americanadverb
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in a poor, lowly, or humble manner.
-
in a base, contemptible, selfish, or shabby manner.
-
in a stingy or miserly manner.
adverb
Etymology
Origin of meanly1
First recorded in 1350–1400, meanly is from the Middle English word meneli. See mean 2, -ly
Origin of meanly2
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mean 3, -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.
“They are cowardly and meanly hiding his body, refusing to give it to his mother and lying miserably while waiting for the trace of” poison to disappear, Navalnaya said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024
We’ve been meaning to ask — or we’re meanly asking.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2021
Now there's an undertone of dread that we could "meanly lose, the last best hope of earth," as Abraham Lincoln warned.
From Salon ● May 16, 2021
Everyone is looking at the camera except him and me, because Nicky is attending to his rivet and I’m looking at Nicky, slyly, face to the camera but eyes sliding meanly to the right.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 8, 2017
But the teacher wasn’t laughing meanly, and suddenly it seemed like nobody was trying to be mean, just having a giggle.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
