Bastardly

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having traits or actions that reflect illegitimacy or dishonor
2. Showing actions or behavior that are morally wrong or contemptible
3. Exhibiting a character marked by unfairness or cruel intentions

Etymology: "Bastardly" is simply "bastard" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ly" added, and the suffix has a longer history than the base word. "-ly" descends from an Old English ending, "-līċ," which came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "body" or "form," so that "godlīċ" once meant something like "having the form of a god." Over centuries the ending wore down to "-ly" and spread to nearly every kind of adjective, so the modern form is a fairly ordinary product of that process. The base word, "bastard," entered English in Middle English, borrowed from Old French "bastard," which in turn came from Latin "bastardus." Its original sense was a child born outside marriage, and the term carried social and legal weight about inheritance and standing. The figurative senses of dishonor or inferiority developed from that legal meaning.

Synonyms: mean, dishonorable, despicable, cruel

Antonyms: noble, honorable, kind, virtuous