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Glite Dictionary
🛌 On one's back 😶 Without resistance
supinely

supinely

9.4
Lying on the back with the face up
  • adverb
  • /suːˈpaɪnli/
translation icon : supinamente
  • He fell supinely onto the couch after a long day at work.

Examples

  • Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

    Blog text (28)

  • The cat lay supinely on the warm grass, soaking up the sunlight.

  • The child was supinely resting on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

Synonyms

face up
vssupinely
9 1.0

With the top side turned up so it is visible

describes lying with the body horizontal and the front side turned upward
flat on one's back
vssupinely
9 4.0

Lying on the back on the ground because someone is tired, hurt, or sick

describes lying with the front side upward without implying illness or injury

Surface Forms

supinely positive

Morphology

supinely = supine (transparent) = supine + ly

The adverb is a straightforward formation from the adjective 'supine' with the manner-forming suffix '-ly'.

Etymology

Supinely comes from the Latin supinus, which means 'lying on the back'. Picture someone with their face turned up to the sky, and you can see why supinely describes that physical position.