coyly en · ADV
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈkɔɪli/
Etymology
Etymology tree English coy Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English coyly From coy + -ly.
Meanings
-
In a coy manner.
Melons, who was engaged in breathing hard after Limpet, got such a shock as the curate drifted coyly before his beard, that for the moment he ceased to breathe at all.
1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 21:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| coily | alternative, rare | lexicographic | |
| more coyly | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most coyly | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |