Meanings
comparative meanlier · comparative more meanly · superlative meanliest · superlative most meanly
- Humbly, of or from low social status; basely.First known use 16th c.
Iphicrates and Marius were meanly born.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 2 - Poorly or inadequately.First known use 16th c.
- In a mean manner; ill-willed, nastily.First known use 17th c.
He meanly refused to ever make a charitable donation.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbin a nasty ill-tempered manner
adverbin a miserly manner
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishmeneli
- Englishmeanly
From Middle English meneli, meneliche, equivalent to mean + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with meanly
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
meanly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanly
“meanly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meanly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meanly.
Source: meanly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.