In an inferior manner; meanly, poorly. Obsolete. rare.

in a paltry or mean manner.

Indifferently, ill, poorly, badly. Chiefly with passive verbs.

Meanly, meagrely; badly; very poorly or inadequately.

In a scurvy manner. Shabbily, meanly; sorrily, unsatisfactorily.

= meanly, adv.2 In modern use usually in to play (also act) mean (in which mean could be interpreted as the adjective). Now chiefly U.S.

In a petty, small-minded, or spiteful manner.