Pluckily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Demonstrating a spirited and fearless attitude, one approaches adversities with confidence and grit
2. Exhibiting an unwavering resolve and bravery, individuals engage with hardships in a bold manner
3. Showing courage and steady determination while facing difficulties or danger

Etymology: "Pluckily" is simply "plucky" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, and the two parts have quite different histories. The "-ly" ending goes back through Old English "-līċe" to a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body-like" or "form-like," which gradually wore down into a general marker of manner. "Plucky" comes from "pluck," a word that dates to Middle English and originally carried the sense of pulling or plucking, the same physical action it still names. Over time, "pluck" took on the figurative meaning of spirit or nerve, the sense of someone plucking up their courage, and "plucky" grew out of that idea of having pluck.

Synonyms: bravely, courageously, fearlessly

Antonyms: cowardly, timidly