Skip to main content
whitely

whitely

1 8.2
In a white or pale way
  • adverb
  • /ˈhwaɪtli/
  • Archaic
translation icon : blancamente
  • It flapped so hard that warm, feathery down flew whitely out through the slender bamboo bars.
  • glowed whitely

Examples

  • And then there were the bones, gleaming whitely in the sun.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Blood watched him coming toward him through the cold night without a coat on, without even his arms crossed, breath swirling whitely across his face.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • "Her gray eyes glowed whitely in the daylight spilling through the window.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Red's voice was tense; his face glistened whitely in the dusky light of the hut.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Bell Field was half-hidden; the stream was invisible, and only the tops of the trees, sickly yellow and drained red, showed above the blank wisps that twined whitely in the woods.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The moon shone whitely over the calm lake, illuminating the water's surface.

  • Her dress flowed gracefully, creating a whitely glow against the darkness of the night.

  • The clouds drifted by, shining whitely in the bright afternoon sun.

Synonyms

palely
vswhitely
1 6.8

In a weak, light way that shows little color or energy

is a straightforward light appearance rather than faint or weak-looking
milkily
vswhitely
5.7

In a way that looks white and cloudy like milk

is clearer and more uniformly light instead of cloudy or opaque

Surface Forms

whitely positive

Morphology

whitely = white (transparent) = white + ly

Clear, regular formation from the adjective 'white' with usual adverbial '-ly', indicating manner relating to whiteness.

Etymology

Whitely comes from white ('the colour of snow or milk') plus the ending -ly that turns it into an adverb. So, whitely means 'in a white or pale way', like snow falling or mist on a lake.