Meanly

Pronunciation: /ˈminli/

Definitions of meanly

adverb In a mean or unkind manner

Example Sentences

A1 She spoke meanly to her little brother when he broke her toy.

A2 The boss meanly criticized the employee in front of everyone.

B1 The customer was treated meanly by the salesperson, which led to a complaint.

B2 The politician meanly attacked his opponent during the debate.

C1 The author's words were interpreted meanly by some readers, causing controversy.

C2 The journalist meanly twisted the facts to create a sensational headline.

Examples of meanly in a Sentence

formal He was accused of acting meanly towards his colleagues by withholding important information.

informal She always speaks meanly about others behind their backs.

slang I can't believe you would treat me so meanly like that.

figurative The storm clouds gathered meanly in the sky, foretelling a heavy downpour.

Grammatical Forms of meanly

• past tense: meant
• plural: meanlies
• comparative: more meanly
• superlative: most meanly
• present tense: mean
• future tense: will mean
• perfect tense: have meant
• continuous tense: is meaning
• singular: meanly
• positive degree: meanly
• infinitive: to mean
• gerund: meaning
• participle: meanly

Origin and Evolution of meanly

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'meanly' originated from the Middle English word 'menely' which came from the Old French word 'mein', ultimately derived from the Latin word 'medius' meaning 'middle'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'meanly' has evolved to mean in a humble or lowly manner, as well as to describe something done in a stingy or ungenerous way.