cattily
1
8.9
- adverb
- /ˈkætɪli/
:
con malicia
- Of course, there had been the snide references to Christian Dior, cattily referred to as First Lady Nancy Reagan's religion.
Examples
-
"She was a cretinous Protestant size forty who wears low-heeled shoes and lavender water," Truman cattily wrote, "who looked as if she wore tweed brassieres and played a lot of golf."
Blog text (27) -
Arthur discusses the situation with Joan, who cattily replies that she thought she didn't have clearance for it.
Blog text (18) -
Dan allowed that it's not as though he isn't always a gentleman of the Department and always on duty day and night, but what with their screeching, their skirts raised 8 inches above the knee—and cattily—very few of them have the legs to bring that off.
Blog text (22) -
"I can't believe she made that comment so cattily; it was totally uncalled for."
-
"He replied cattily, making it clear he didn't take her seriously."
-
"She smiled cattily and added, 'I thought you were the best at this.'"
Synonyms
10
7.1
In a way that wants to hurt someone or cause trouble
3
8.7
In an angry and hurtful way
2
7.0
To do something to hurt or upset someone on purpose
2
5.1
In an unpleasant, angry, or mean way
2
7.1
In a sharp, slightly angry way that can hurt people's feelings
1
7.0
In a cruel way that shows unkind feelings and hurts others
1
7.9
Saying something in a very harsh and critical way
1
8.1
In a way that tries to hurt someone because you want revenge
1
8.2
Saying or doing things with very strong anger and hate toward someone
1
5.1
In a sharp, rude way that shows sarcasm
1
8.1
In a way that shows you do not respect someone or something
1
9.9
In a very harsh and angry way that hurts people
1
8.1
In a sharp, hurtful way when criticizing someone
1
8.2
In a sharply critical way that can hurt someone's feelings
In a mean way that tries to hurt someone
In a mean, unkind way that aims to hurt someone
Behaving in a mean way about unimportant things
In a mean, cruel way that shows no respect
In a bitter, angry way during a disagreement
To criticise someone using very harsh, insulting words
In a way that aims to hurt someone's feelings
In a sharply critical way that hurts someone's feelings
Speaking or acting in a harsh, biting way
In a sharp, bitter way that hurts people with words
In a harsh, rude way that upsets people when speaking or acting
In an angry, sharp way that shows someone is annoyed
In a rude, insulting way that shows clear disrespect
Antonyms
How Spiteful
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Cattily comes from catty, which comes from cat, so imagine a cat's quick claws and sudden hiss. So, to speak cattily is to give 'small, sharp, mean' remarks like a cat's scratch, and that is why the word means being spiteful or cruel in speech.