sinisterlyadv.

c1465 W. Worcester in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 553 Yff onye thyng falle sinistrely only yn theyr deffaut, as God deffend.

1586 W. Warner Albions Eng. ii. vii. 26 Beholding how sinisterly the double fight had past.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Malheureusement,..vnluckily, vnfortunately, sinisterly, disastrously.

1624 T. Heywood Γυναικεῖον i. 37 If any thing sinisterlie happen unto him through his owne temeritie.

c1487 J. Skelton tr. Diodorus Siculus Bibliotheca Historica iv. 318 It is senesterly reported that thise ceremonyall mysteries which of Orpheus for a trouthe toke theire formere origynall, shuld procede and take her prymordiall first grounde of Dionisius.

1491 in Acts Lords of Council Civil Causes (1839) I. 206 Thai..purchest sinisterly the said pretendit proces apoun me.

1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in Wks. 615/2 Nowe is not the tytle of hys Chapter so sinistrelye written and wryed awaye from the poynte.

1581 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1880) 1st Ser. III. 394 Sinisterlie purchest upoun wrang narratioun maid to oure Soverane Lord.

1617 S. Collins Epphata to F. T. ii. ix. 381 Dissembling our sinnefulnesse, and reioycing sinisterly in our supposed perfection.

1631 B. Jonson Staple of Newes v. ii. 14 in Wks. II You told me you had got a growen estate, By griping meanes, sinisterly.

1837 Times 11 July You supported an opponent might and main against his authority, however sinisterly.

a1492 W. Caxton tr. Vitas Patrum (1495) ii. f. cclx^v/1 They asked what man..had so euyll & synystryly spoken of the sayd abbot.

1506 in J. Raine Vol. Eng. Misc. N. Counties Eng. (1890) 52 Oon Bartrame Dawson..is senysterly defamed that he shulde be a Scottysshman borne.

1579 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1880) 1st Ser. III. 158 Heiring that his just and necessarie intentioun..to be sinisterlie reportit of.

1608 D. Tuvill Ess. Politicke, & Morall f. 128^v Hee ouerthrewe Marcellus, by accusing him to haue spoken somewhat sinisterly of Caesar.

1529 T. More Supplyc. Soulys i. f. ix Suche as wolde be glad synysterly to misseconster euery thynge towarde the clergye.

1538 T. Wriothesley in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1827) 2nd Ser. II. 110 I write this unto You bicause you may peraventur here sumwhat hereof, and the thing percase sinisterly interpreted.

1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. K If now some gyddy fancie in your braine, Make you conceiue sinisterly of her.

1653 J. Gauden Hieraspistes 274 I would have nothing in Him, that is justly to be blamed, or sinisterly suspected.

1751 W. Crashaw tr. Ital. Convert xxiv. 90 The case..would be sinisterly spoken of and censured by many.

1843 Times 17 June 7/2 Spoken reproachfully under ordinary circumstances the statement..was nevertheless indisputably true... But, accepting it as sinisterly as you will, what then?

c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) 2 Quhen thai & mordocheus var sinisterly accusit, and alse persecutit, be amman.

1599 A. Day Eng. Secretorie (rev. ed.) i. sig. N1 A matter sinisterly suggested vnto you against mee, without anie maintainable reason.

a1691 A. Wood Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxf. (1796) II. 444 The scholars' arms..were not borrowed of them, as some had sinisterly suggested.

a1600 R. Hooker Answere Supplic. W. Travers (1612) 8 That I am..one which refuse to be at peace with such as embrace the truth, & side my selfe with men sinisterly affected therevnto.

1618 P. Holderus tr. J. van Oldenbarneveld Barneuel's Apol. sig. B3 Many also of the Gouernours of the free cities were sinisterly affected towards the State, by reason of the detaining of certaine goods.

1847 Morning Chron. 7 June 3/5 To machinate evil councils and to pursue sinisterly ambitious purposes.

1851 Critic 1 Feb. 58/3 A look there was in those blue eyes, that..seemed sinisterly to contradict their attractive power.

1946 G. Millar Horned Pigeon xxi. 346 The ducks looked happy and healthy, perhaps sinisterly so.

1974 E. Jones Barlow comes to Judgement 48 There is nothing sinisterly secret about the WHY Club.

2013 Time Out N.Y. 14 Nov. 87/1 Beckett's gallows-goofy meditation on old age, barrenness and..death shifts sinisterly from pastoral slapstick to a wastescape of morbid despair.

1628 J. Earle Micro-cosmogr. xxi. sig. E2 Hee [sc. the scholar] ascends a horse somwhat sinisterly, though not on the left side.

1650 N. Ward Discolliminium 14 Some of our new Architectors, have read some Authors..with their left eyes, which makes them work with their left hands, so sinisterly.

1749 Two Lett. from Physician in London 61 Apollo..is said to hold sharp Arrows in his Left-hand, threatning Danger to the Patients where Medicines are sinisterly or unlearnedly used.