different between roundly vs freely

English

Etymology

From Middle English roundly, roundely, roundliche, equivalent to round +? -ly.

Adverb

roundly (comparative more roundly, superlative most roundly)

1. Circularly.
2. Utterly or thoroughly.
   • 1974, Richard Garrett, General Gordon (page 203)

     When, over in the east, General Valentine Baker led his force of four thousand irregulars against Osman Digna, he was roundly thrashed.

3. Boldly; openly.
   • 1873, John Camden Hotten, The Slang Dictionary

     Moko, a name given by sportsmen to pheasants killed by mistake during September, before the pheasant-shooting comes in. They pull out their tails, and roundly assert that they are no pheasants at all, but mokos.

4. Briskly.
5. Generally.

Synonyms

• completely, deeply, firmly, fully, perfectly, soundly, thoroughly, totally

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: fr?'l?, IPA^(key): /?f?ili/
• Rhymes: -i?li

Etymology 1

From Middle English frely, freelich, from Old English fr?ol?c (“free, freeborn, glorious, stately, magnificent, noble, beautiful, charming”), equivalent to free +? -ly. Compare Middle Low German vrilik, vrigelik (“free”), Middle High German vr?lich (“free”).

Alternative forms

• frely (Scotland)

Adjective

freely (comparative freelier or more freely, superlative freeliest or most freely)

1. Free; frank.
2. Generous; noble; excellent; beautiful; lovely.

Derived terms

• unfreely

Etymology 2

From Middle English frely, freliche, from Old English fr?ol??e (“freely, readily, as a festival”), equivalent to free +? -ly. Compare Dutch vrijelijk (“freely”), German freilich (“certainly, of course”).

Adverb

freely (comparative freelier or more freely, superlative freeliest or most freely)

1. In a free manner.

2. Without interference or restriction.

   talk freely
3. Of one's own free will.

   I will freely help you.

Related terms

• frankly
• openly
• costlessly

Translations

References

• “freely”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.