R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Fire of Love 81 (MED) Þe Byrnynge..hys sawle begyns to kyndyll..it warmes, als þis rotynly body [L. corruptibilitas corporis] suffyrs..þat þe self sawle..irkis to dwell in þis deedely flesch.

1580 T. Tusser Fiue Hundred Pointes Good Husbandrie (new ed.) f. 19 A rottenly mould, is land woorth gould.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry ii. f. 64 The best heades are those that are fattest, and haue little heares, the woorst looke rottenly.

1643 T. Case Quarrell of Covenant i. 3 They take it [sc. the Covenant] rottenly in opposition to sincerity, as it is complained of the Israelites.

1668 Duchess of Newcastle Sociable Compan. i. i. 6 in Plays Faith all Plantations are but rottenly begun; but the more rotten the Planters are, the better; for rottenness doth, like as dung, help to Manure the Land.

1786 Boletarium xxxii. 38 Freemen of Carlisle—you're rottenly supported; Freemen of Britain there's Corruption among us.

1845 ‘Dow, Jr.’ Short Patent Serm. I. 34 Man!—how good and pure thou art in precept, but how rottenly corrupt in practice!

1857 M. A. Denison Gracie Amber xv. 90 His feet are soaked in cruel looking shoes, breaking rottenly away all over, and showing his filthy feet.

1897 A. M. Williamson Barn Stormers xxv. 278 Monica heard him panting like a great, weary dog, and his breath on her face reeked rottenly of stale liquor.

1920 S. Jameson Happy Highways i. xvii. 98 A mind in tune with the present order of things..may appear healthy and ordinary, but really it's rottenly diseased.

1988 A. Ellis How to stubbornly refuse to make yourself Miserable iv. 33 Rotten individuals—..such people would be rotten to the core,..and would be eternally doomed to act rottenly.

2003 R. Sisman Weekend in Paris (2004) xiii. 143 Wooden steps sagged rottenly under their tread.

1878 Victoria Parl. Deb. 30 July (1879) 28 254/2 Once a step was taken towards what was called—somewhat rottenly, he thought—liberalism, there was no retracing it.

1894 Harvard Advocate 3 May 62/1 How rottenly I feel... It's hard on a man's nerves to lose seventy dollars in three hours.

1905 G. B. Shaw Let. 29 Nov. (1972) II. 584 I see..that the papers all say that..Major Barbara [is] a rottenly undramatic play.

1927 H. Walpole Jeremy at Crale iii. 43 ‘They weren't half pleased at your playing so rottenly.’ ‘I didn't play rottenly.’

1934 D. L. Sayers Nine Tailors 79 I'm afraid—if I go west this time—I'll be leaving you rottenly badly off, old girl.

1968 Ebony July 50/2 There was no stopping me, no matter how rottenly I was writing.

2009 Express (Nexis) 23 Dec. 13 It is rottenly hard to live on benefits but many people do just that without resorting to crime.