Dreamily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner characterized by a tranquil or reflective mindset Suggesting a soft or fanciful approach to thoughts or surroundings Exhibiting a peaceful and imaginative disposition that conveys a sense of wonder or contemplation
2. Done with a soft, thoughtful air, as if lost in pleasant fantasies
3. Performed with an absent-minded or wistful expression, showing imagination or longing

Etymology: "Dreamily" is a plain formation: the adjective "dreamy" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The adjective "dreamy" is itself built from "dream" and the suffix "-y", which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "full of" or "characterized by" the noun. So a dreamy manner is one full of dream-like qualities. The ending does the grammatical work. The "-ly" suffix comes from Old English "-līċe", a form that originally carried the sense of "in the manner of" or "in the likeness of" the base word, and it became the standard way to turn adjectives into adverbs. Anyone speaking of a thing done "in a dreamy way" is therefore using the same mechanism that produces "quickly" or "slowly." The root "dream" traces back far enough that its earliest ancestor is reconstructed as a Proto-Indo-European form, but for English speakers the story runs mainly through Old English and Middle English, where the suffix "-ly" was already doing this job long before "dreamily" appeared.

Synonyms: distractedly, whimsically, thoughtfully, absently, musingly

Antonyms: alertly, soberly, seriously, attentively, focused