downwardly C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈdaʊnwərdli/ UK /ˈdaʊnwədli/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adv in a downward direction or toward a lower level The family was, sadly, downwardly mobile after the recession. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · in a downward direction or... downdownwarddownwards ↔ Opposites upwardlyupward Word family Related forms downwarddownwardsdown Etymology AI details From 'downward' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Downward' is from Old English 'dūneweard', from 'dūne' ('down') + '-weard' ('-ward, in the direction of'). dūneweard Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # downwardly **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /ˈdaʊnwərdli/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdaʊnwədli/ ## Meanings 1. in a downward direction or toward a lower level ## Examples - The family was, sadly, downwardly mobile after the recession. ## Synonyms - down - downward - downwards ## Antonyms - upwardly - upward ## Related Forms - downward - downwards - down ## Roots and Affixes - Root: dūneweard ## Etymology From 'downward' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Downward' is from Old English 'dūneweard', from 'dūne' ('down') + '-weard' ('-ward, in the direction of'). ## AI Etymology Downwardly is from 'downward' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Downward' is from Old English 'dūneweard', from 'dūne' ('down') + '-weard' ('-ward, in the direction of'). The immediate etymological form is Old English dūneweard. The suffix -ly forms an adverb or adjective from the base, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adverb, it means "in a downward direction or toward a lower level", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include downward, downwards, and down. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown