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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

thusly en · ADV

Pronunciation

  • /ˈðʌs.li/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From thus + -ly, dating from the 19th century, seemingly coined by educated writers to make fun of uneducated persons trying to sound genteel, with a false inference that thus is not an adverb.

Meanings

  1. (not-comparable, proscribed) thus (in this way).
    • The history of the Universe has been summed up thusly: "Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people." 1995 December, John P. Wiley Jr, quoting Edward R. Harrison, Smithsonian Magazine
    • Going thusly, unwillingly at the bell, Answering the call to recycle my time. 1996, Charles Harding, High Rise Dwelling:
    • He had an attack of catarrh not long ago, and it happened, as J. Billings would say, "thusly:" 1866, Harper's Magazine:
    • Stories never lose anything in the recital, and consequently this one grew thusly. 1893, Isabel Burton, The Life of Captain Sir Richard F. Burton KCMG, FRGS, volume II:
    • His course can only be akkounted for thusly: 1866, Petroleum V. Nasby, Life of Androo Johnson:
    • Ar, tell me it is not so thusly as this thusness wouldst seem! 1865, Hingston, editor, Artemus Ward (His Travels) Among the Mormons:
  2. (not-comparable, proscribed) thus (therefore)
    • Lately, they [the prison authorities] came up with a new excuse. Seems like they consider owning a Gay publication is an expression of a person's sexuality and would thusly identify the person as a homosexual which would then subject him to assault or pressures. 1976 August 21, Calvin Keach, quotee, “Leavenworth, Again”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 8, page 2: