† litherlyadj.
Obsolete.
a. Spiteful, mischievous.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > spitefulness > [adjective]
teenfulOE
atteryc1175
ondfula1200
maliciousa1250
doggedc1300
enviousc1330
venoma1350
spitous?a1366
despitousc1374
heinous?a1400
venomyc1400
sinister1411
sputousc1420
doggish?a1425
cankered?a1439
doggya1450
sinistrous1460
spity1481
despiteful1488
spiteful1490
despiteous?1510
viperious?1510
peevisha1522
maliceful1522
envyful1530
viperinec1540
viperous?1542
vipered1560
uncanny1596
dogged-sprighted1600
maliced1602
ill-minded1611
virulent1613
ill-hearteda1617
doleful1617
spitish1627
splenial1641
litherlya1643
venomsome1660
slim1674
viper1721
vipereal1750
viperish1755
vicious1825
waspish1855
viperian1866
viperan1877
cattish1883
catty1886
bitchy1928
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > unkindness > spite, malice > [adjective]
loathOE
teenfulOE
nithefulOE
ondfula1200
maliciousa1250
doggedc1300
enviousc1330
venomousa1340
venoma1350
spitous?a1366
despitousc1374
heinous?a1400
unkindlya1400
venomyc1400
sinister1411
sputousc1420
doggish?a1425
cankered?a1439
doggya1450
sinistrous1460
spity1481
despiteful1488
spiteful1490
despiteous?1510
viperious?1510
peevisha1522
envyful1530
viperous1535
viperinec1540
vipered1560
bad-minded1588
uncanny1596
dogged-sprighted1600
toothsome1601
maliced1602
ill-minded1611
virulent1613
ill-hearteda1617
doleful1617
spitish1627
ill-meaning1633
splenial1641
litherlya1643
venomsome1660
slim1668
cat-witted1672
vipereal1750
viperish1755
méchant1813
vicious1825
maliceful1840
mean1841
waspish1855
viperian1866
viperan1877
cattish1883
catty1886
bad mind1904
bitchy1908
a1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary (1651) ii. ii. 25 What wends against the grain is lytherly.
1805 W. Scott Lay of Last Minstrel ii. xxxii. 58 He was waspish, arch, and litherlie.
b. Idle, lazy.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [adjective]
sweerc725
foridledc1230
idlea1300
faintc1325
recrayed1340
slewful1340
nicea1398
sleuthya1400
delicate?c1400
sleuthfulc1400
slothfulc1400
sloth1412
lurdanc1480
luskinga1500
luskish15..
droning1509
bumbard?a1513
slottery1513
desidiousa1540
lazy1549
slovening1549
truanta1550
sleuth1567
litherly1573
truantly1579
dronish1580
lubberly1580
truant-like1583
shiftless1584
sluggard1594
fat1598
lusky1604
sweatless1606
clumse1611
easeful1611
loselly1611
do-littlea1613
sluggardisha1627
pigritious1638
drony1653
murcid1656
thokisha1682
shammockinga1704
indolent1710
huddroun1721
nothing-doing1724
desidiose1727
lusk1775
slack-twisted1794
sweert1817
bone-lazya1825
lurgy1828
straight-backed1830
do-nothing1832
slobbish1833
bone idle1836
slouch1837
lotophagous1841
shammocky1841
bein1847
thoky1847
lotus-eating1852
fainéant1855
sluggardly1865
lazy-boned1875
do-naught1879
easy-going1879
lazyish1892
slobbed1962
1573 T. Tusser Points Huswifrie (new ed.) f. 9, in Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) Some litherly lubber, more eateth then two, yet leaueth vndone, that a straunger will doe.
1684 S. E. Answer Remarks upon Dr. H. More 24 To awaken them out of their remisness and litherly formalness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1903; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
† litherlyadv.
Obsolete.
In a ‘lither’ manner.
a. Wickedly, deceitfully, viciously.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [adverb]
wrothec888
litherlyc1050
foulOE
sinfullyc1175
quedelya1250
amissc1275
shrewdly13..
felonly1303
wickedly1303
wickc1330
wickly1338
lewdlyc1384
wickeda1400
mischievouslyc1426
felonously1436
felonmentc1470
wickedfullyc1480
villainously1484
meschantlya1492
sinisterly1491
naughtily?1529
perniciously1533
naughtly1575
unsela1583
nefariously1599
scelerately1632
improbously1657
queerly1699
c1050 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 178/27 Pessime, luþerlice.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1563 Ðin broðer iacob was her nu, And toc ðin bliscing liðer-like.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 1231 Leþerly as a lyoun he lepes in-to þe prese.
?a1400 Morte Arth. 1263 To unlordly he wyrkez, Thus letherly agaynes law to lede my pople.
b. Badly, meanly, miserably, wretchedly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > [adverb]
noughtlyeOE
wrothec888
unrighteouslyeOE
foullyOE
naughtlyOE
wrothlyc1200
litherlya1225
unwraste?c1225
illc1275
vilelyc1290
shrewdly13..
felonly1303
unwrastlyc1320
viciouslya1325
diverselyc1325
wickly1338
lewdlyc1384
badlyc1405
foula1425
mischievouslyc1426
felonously1436
felonmentc1470
wickedfullyc1480
villainously1484
meschantlya1492
sinisterly1491
noughtily1528
naughtily?1529
perniciously1533
illy1549
naught1549
bad1575
evilly1581
nefariously1599
scelerately1632
improbously1657
piggishly1756
iniquitously1796
pervertedly1804
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > wretchedness > [adverb]
noughtlyeOE
litherOE
naughtlyOE
litherlya1225
simplya1325
miseaselyc1330
wretchedlyc1340
lewdlyc1386
unhappily1390
miserably?a1425
lodderlyc1425
sorrily1496
singly1548
naughtily1574
sillily1581
lamentably1585
evilly1587
woefully1592
scurvily1616
execrably1633
grievously1742
miscreantly1744
queasily1845
fecklessly1862
God-forsakenly1913
a1225 St. Marher. 4 Thine forðfederes beoð..forloren luðerliche.
c1386 G. Chaucer Miller's Tale 113 A clerk hadde litherly biset his whyle, But if he koude a Carpenter bigyle.
c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 36 What vrþly haþel..Wolde lyke, if a ladde com lyþerly attyred.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xiii. 133 Men say, ‘Lyght chepe Letherly foryeldys’.
c. Idly, lazily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > disinclination to act or listlessness > sloth or laziness > [adverb]
slewfully1340
untyȝtelc1400
slothlya1425
nicely1440
idly1487
sleuthfully1488
slothfully?1529
luskishly1530
litherly1550
lazily1587
indolently1707
loungingly1799
truantly1822
loafingly1860
lotophagously1882
1550 M. Coverdale tr. O. Werdmueller Spyrytuall & Precyouse Pearle xvii. sig. Gvj Earnestly, manfully and not lytherly or fayntly.
a1583 Arbuthnot in Pinkerton Anc. Sc. Poems (1786) 144 Men wes sueir, and durst not steir; But lurkit lidderlie.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. ii. lviii. 83 Doing all things that they did, litherly, slowly, rekelesly and stubbornely.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1903; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1573adv.c1050