meanly

Everyday

1. Meanly means in an unkind or nasty way. tree →
2. Meanly can mean in a stingy way, not willing to share or spend. tree →
3. Meanly can mean poorly or shabbily, as in "meanly dressed". tree →

In the lessons

In stories, meanly tells the reader that a character is being unkind: "she laughed meanly". In lessons about kindness, pupils talk about acting meanly and how it makes others feel.

Examples

• He laughed meanly when I fell over. tree →
• She meanly took the last biscuit without asking. tree →
• The giant meanly kept all the gold for himself. tree →
• Don't speak meanly to your little sister. tree →
• The beggar was meanly dressed. tree →
• The bully smiled meanly. tree →

Note

Adverb of "mean" (unkind). Not linked to "mean" in maths (the average) or to "meaning". It is a fairly rare word; "unkindly" or "nastily" are more common.