proverbially en · ADV
Etymology
Etymology tree English proverbial Middle English -ly English -ly English proverbially From proverbial + -ly.
Meanings
-
In a manner that uses proverbs; in or according to proverbs.
“Unless I am gravely in error you are yourself a very brave man, and brave men are proverbially magnanimous.”
1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 33:The bee is a proverbially busy creature.
- In a manner reminiscent of a proverb.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more proverbially | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most proverbially | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |