Rottenly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Characterized by a state of decay or decomposition in a way that is thoroughly unpleasant
2. Describing something as being extremely corrupt or morally degraded, often in a very evident manner
3. Pertaining to a condition that is notably foul or repulsive due to extensive deterioration or corruption

Etymology: Rottenly is about as transparent as English adverbs get: the adjective "rotten" with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb. The suffix itself goes back a long way. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form meaning "body" or "form," which hardened into the adjective-making ending "-lik," and that ending moved through Old English "-līc" and Middle English "-ly" before settling into the form still used today. "Rotten" is the older and more interesting half of the pair. It traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root for decay, and it has been a plain description of decomposing matter in English for centuries. The adverb simply applies that sense to the way something is done or the way something appears: a rottenly built house is one whose structure has gone bad, and a rottenly behaved man is one whose conduct has become corrupt.

Synonyms: decayed, decomposed

Antonyms: freshly, wholesomely