weedilyadv.
/ˈwiːdᵻli/, U.S. /ˈwidᵻli/ 1. With many weeds (weed n.1 1); in a manner characterized by an abundance of weeds.
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1789 J. Byng Diary 10 June in C. B. Andrews Torrington Diaries (1935) II. 14 The water, not in front, but at one corner, runs weedily thro' a flat.
1873 Harper's New Monthly Mag. Mar. 562 The garden path, weedily overgrown since father's death,..lay quiet and dew-laden.
1953 F. Leiber Green Millennium xiv. 169 A terrace that was as weedily overgrown as the square.
1997 Fly Rod & Reel Sept. 75/3 By sunset I had worked my way to within a mile of the junction, where the river meanders weedily through a broad meadow of sedge and thistles.
2. With reference to a plant: in a manner resembling or reminiscent of a weed, esp. in growing quickly or profusely. Also figurative.
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?1860 A. Mursell Lect. to Working Men 3rd Ser. III. 250 In the rank long grass which seemed to be springing weedily around the hearts of men, there was always a snug lair where the serpent lay and coiled his folds around.
1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems lxiv. 55 Lush vines all weedily trailing.
1894 Theatre May 270 Plays and players were left to struggle up weedily without culture or guidance.
1916 Garden Mag. Jan. 204/3 This Pyrethrum or giant Daisy..does not spread weedily but can be divided every year or two in spring or fall.
1953 Catholic World Jan. 254/2 These paresthetics..have already achieved such influence that their vicious doctrines have sprouted weedily in many of our elementary public schools.
2003 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 24 Apr. (Late ed.) f2/5 Though C. [= Clematis] terniflora is weedily tough when planted in the ground, confinement makes it less robust.
3. colloquial. So as to be thin, weak, or feeble; esp. (with reference to a person) so as to be lanky or weak-looking; with a lack of physical vigour or strength of character; in a contemptibly feeble manner.
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1876 Harper's Weekly 24 June 514/3 My brother—the head of the house now—a tall, weedily grown, but aristocratic-looking man, sat on the right of the fire.
1899 Sat. Rev. 1 July 9/2 Three arches..are filled as far down as the capitals with a thick rusty-gold lattice.., and the capitals are weedily sculptured in bronze and gold and colour.
1911 R. F. Scott Jrnl. 3 Oct. in Last Exped. (1913) I. xiv. 288 He looks well and feeds well, though a very weedily built animal compared with the others.
1986 Guardian 28 Feb. 14/4 Congress has weedily buckled time and again.
1995 A. Edmondson Gobbler iii. 19 ‘Hi Julian,’ she said, her voice weedily thin and annoyingly familiar.
2014 Times (Nexis) 17 Jan. (T2 section) 6 His white gringo legs, staggering weedily under the weight of a stolen cactus.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.1789