meekly

Meekly is an adverb that describes performing an action in a meek manner—humble, patient, gentle, or submissive. It is formed from the adjective meek by adding the suffix -ly. The adjective meek has a long history in English, with attestations in Old English and Middle English, and it refers to a disposition characterized by restraint rather than aggression.

In usage, meekly focuses on how something is done rather than what is done. It can carry positive connotations of humility and self-control or negative ones of excessive passivity, depending on context. Examples include: “She accepted the verdict meekly,” “He spoke meekly, without raising his voice,” and “They moved meekly through the crowd.”

Meekness as a broader noun concept appears in religious, philosophical, and literary contexts. In religious texts, meekness is often valued as moral strength rather than weakness, as seen in discussions of humility and patience. A well-known phrase associated with the broader concept is “the meek shall inherit the earth,” illustrating how meekness is framed in cultural discourse, even though the adverbial form meekly is used less frequently in modern prose.

Synonyms for meekly include humbly, gently, and submissively; antonyms include assertively, boldly, and aggressively. Meekly remains a precise descriptor for actions performed with restraint and gentleness, especially in contexts emphasizing patience, civility, or deference.