murderouslyadv.
/ˈməːd(ə)rəsli/, U.S. /ˈmərd(ə)rəsli/ 1. In a murderous manner; with murderous intent; so as to commit murder; †by murder (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > death > killing > man-killing or homicide > murder or assassination > [adverb]
murderablyc1485
murderously1565
murderingly1662
1565 J. Hall Courte of Vertue f. 142 Some in a bushe would closely lurke For thys most fylthy gaynes, And wyth a club most murderously, Knocke out the true mans braynes.
1612 J. Speed Theatre of Empire of Great Brit. i. xli. 79/1 Oswy King of Northumberland..was murtherously made away.
1617 D. Gale Pyramvs & Thisbe xxi. sig. B4 Gathering vp the limbes in peecemeale torne, Of their deare burthen murtherously forlorne.
1783 H. Cowley Which is the Man? iii. i. 24 A little rosy mouth, that betray'd, with a deceitful smile, teeth most murderously white.
1787 R. Burns Let. 30 Dec. (2001) I. 193 I am at this moment ready to hang myself for a young Edinr widow, who has wit and beauty more murderously fatal than the assassinating stiletto of the Sicilian Banditti.
1842 E. S. Wortley Maiden of Moscow xviii. xlii. 689 They grappled murderously.
1885 Manch. Examiner 26 June 5/7 He was attacked and murderously assaulted by two men.
1924 J. Todhunter tr. J. W. von Goethe Faust xxiv. 186 Grip me not, so murderously!
1992 Entertainm. Weekly 22 May 45/1 Leigh is the character who answers the ad and becomes dangerously—even murderously—obsessed with her new best friend.
2. colloquial. As an intensifier: to a great or overpowering extent; extremely. Cf. murderous adj. 4.Cf. quot. 1787 at sense 1 in figurative context at sense 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly
swithlyc888
micklelyeOE
swith971
hardOE
un-i-fohOE
sevenfoldlOE
unmeet?c1225
innerlyc1330
horribly1340
too1340
sore1474
horriblec1475
vehemently1483
outrageous1487
done?a1513
exquisite1529
strangely1532
exceeding1535
exceedingly1535
angardlyc1540
angerlyc1540
choicec1540
vengeable1542
vengeably?1550
extremelya1554
monstrous1569
thrice1579
amain1587
extremea1591
damnably1598
fellc1600
tyrannically1602
exquisitely1603
damnedly1607
preciously1607
damnablea1616
impensively1620
excellingly1621
main1632
fearful1634
vengeancelya1640
upsy1650
impensely1657
twadding1657
vastly1664
hideous1667
mainly1670
consumed1707
consumedly1707
outrageously1749
damned1757
nation1771
shockingly1777
deuced1779
darn1789
darned1807
felly1807
varsal1814
awful1816
awfy1816
frightfully1816
deucedly1819
dogged1819
awfully1820
gallowsa1823
shocking1831
tremendously1832
everlasting1833
terribly1833
fearfully1835
ripping1838
poison1840
thundering1853
frighteninglyc1854
raring1854
hell's own1863
goldarned1866
goddamned1870
doggone1871
acutely1872
whooping1874
stupidly1878
everlastingly1879
hideously1882
densely1883
storming1883
good and1885
thunderingly1885
crazy1887
tremendous1887
madly1888
goldarn1892
howling1895
murderously1916
rasted1919
goddam1921
bitchingly1923
Christly1923
bitching1929
falling-down1930
lousy1932
appallingly1937
stratospherically1941
Christ almighty1945
effing1945
focking1956
dagnab1961
drop-dead1980
hella1987
totes2006
1916 W. S. McNutt in Munsey's Mag. (N.Y.) Oct. 45/1 Jack's supposed to be murderously jealous of me. Of course, he's not—he knows he's the only man in the world I ever give a thought to.
1935 Punch 1 May 491/1 ‘You're not a bit interested in that apostrophe.’ ‘Yes, I am, darling, murderously. Do go on about it.’
1978 J. A. Michener Chesapeake 150 Cash money was still murderously scarce.
1995 FourFourTwo Oct. 37/2 Chris England wil be giving you his exclusive opinion of Clubcall, the murderously expensive 0891 numbers run by most football clubs.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.1565