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Glite Dictionary
scrappily

scrappily

8.4
Act in a way that shows they will fight or argue
  • adverb
  • /ˈskræpɪli/
translation icon : de manera combativa
  • However, Houston scrappily clawed back, and in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 4-4 when Jose Altuve doubled in Lucas Harrell.

Examples

  • The teammates argued scrappily, each trying to prove their point during the heated discussion.

  • She approached the negotiation scrappily, unwilling to back down from her position.

  • Despite their scrappily delivered speeches, the candidates managed to engage the audience.

Synonyms

pugnaciously
vsscrappily
8.8

In a way that shows someone wants to fight or argue

is more about readiness to argue without the eager tone
combatively
vsscrappily
7.1

In a way that shows you are ready to argue or fight

is similar but stresses argumentative behaviour over physical force

Antonyms

peacefully
149 1.3

In a calm and quiet way without violence

calmly
110 1.0

In a calm, steady way without showing anger or nervousness

How Combative

violently
107 3.5
aggressively
126 4.9
scrappily
8.4

Surface Forms

scrappily positive

Morphology

scrappily = scrappy (semi-transparent) = scrap + y + ly

The adverb is a straightforward -ly formation from the adjective 'scrappy', so the derivation is clear to learners who know 'scrappy'.

Etymology

Scrappily comes from scrap ('a small piece' and also 'a short fight') plus the ending -ly that makes it an adverb. A helpful image is someone made of 'scraps' who is small but ready to fight, so to act scrappily means to argue or fight in a rough, determined way.