† dulcelyadv.
Obsolete.
In a sweet or pleasing way; soothingly.In quot. 1508 applied to the way in which something sweet is drunk.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adverb]
sweetlyc900
queemlyOE
lustly971
winlyc1000
sootlya1125
to (a person's) queemc1175
lustilya1225
avenantlya1375
pleasinglya1398
queema1400
beinc1400
farrandlyc1400
pleasantlyc1400
pleasantlya1425
queemfullyc1425
thankfullyc1480
greablyc1500
dulcely1508
dulcea1525
pleasant1553
agreeably?1567
pleasurably1580
sugarly1587
flattering1597
sweet1597
attractively1640
well-pleasingly1645
welcomely1646
flatteringly1661
relishingly1677
satisfyingly1743
sweetsome1799
smilingly1806
dulcetly1810
gratifyingly1822
honeyedly1832
enjoyably1877
suavely1883
congenially1884
a fair treat1884
1508 W. Kennedy Flyting (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems W. Dunbar (1998) I. 211 I..dulcely [1568 dulely] drank of eloquence the fontayne.
1545 S. Gardiner Let. 14 Nov. in Lett. (2013) 194 We goo dulcely with thiese men, thEmperours Counsail here, who be alredy, in my jugement, goon sumwhat over the barre.
1856 F. Burghley Sir Edwin Gilderoy i. 9 A flush o'erspreads his sallow cheek, His eye begins to glow, As a fav'rite catch he dulcely trills, Heard often in St. Loe.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2019).
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adv.1508