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
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
It rides that line between enjoying the genre without meanly mocking it.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2022
I didn’t say it meanly, but it was like, I want to shake some hands and enjoy this moment.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2022
We’ve been meaning to ask — or we’re meanly asking.
From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2021
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.
