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thusly. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
thusly, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
thusly in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
thusly you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
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.
Pronunciation
Adverb
thusly (not comparable)
- (proscribed) thus (in this way).
1865, Hingston, editor, Artemus Ward (His Travels) Among the Mormons:Ar, tell me it is not so thusly as this thusness wouldst seem!
1866, Petroleum V. Nasby, Life of Androo Johnson:His course can only be akkounted for thusly:
1866, Harper's Magazine:He had an attack of catarrh not long ago, and it happened, as J. Billings would say, "thusly:"
1893, Isabel Burton, The Life of Captain Sir Richard F. Burton KCMG, FRGS, volume II:Stories never lose anything in the recital, and consequently this one grew thusly.
- 1995 December, John P. Wiley Jr, quoting Edward R. Harrison, Smithsonian Magazine:
- The history of the Universe has been summed up thusly: "Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people."
1996, Charles Harding, High Rise Dwelling:Going thusly, unwillingly at the bell,
Answering the call to recycle my time.
- (proscribed) thus (therefore)
1976 August 21, Calvin Keach, quotee, “Leavenworth, Again”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 8, page 2: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.
Usage notes
Although thusly has diffused into popular usage, it may be regarded as incorrect by some; instead, other equivalent expressions (such as thus or this way) can be used. It originated in the Eastern U.S., and it is still more common in American than British English; it is "often used for amusement or to make an ironic point."
References
Anagrams