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

“No, my lord. They have not,” she said meekly.

Read more on Literature

Beowulf meekly opened his mouth and extracted the bird.

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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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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