Amateurishly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that shows a noticeable lack of professional skill or experience
2. Performed or done without the polish or expertise gained from formal training
3. Displaying qualities of inexperience or clumsiness common to non-professionals

Etymology: "Amateurishly" is a straightforward build: the adjective "amateurish" with the adverb suffix "-ly" added to the end. The adjective is "amateur" plus "-ish", a suffix that was originally a way of saying "having the qualities of" or "somewhat like". The "-ish" ending traces back through Old English "-isc" to a Proto-Germanic form, and the "-ly" ending comes from Old English "-lice", which is the same root as the word "like" in its sense of "form" or "appearance". So the whole word says, in effect, "in the manner of something like an amateur." The base "amateur" came into English from French, where it means "lover" or "one who loves" something, which is the original sense: someone who does a thing for love of it rather than for pay. That affectionate root is quietly still present, since the word once described a devotee rather than a bungler.

Synonyms: unskillfully, ineptly

Antonyms: professionally, expertly