Underminingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Characterized by acting in a way that subtly erodes the foundation or stability of something while appearing to support it
2. Describing a manner that secretly weakens or subverts an established authority or system under the guise of cooperation
3. Exhibiting an approach that covertly diminishes the strength or effectiveness of an entity while seemingly engaging positively

Etymology: "Underminingly" is a plain formation: the adverb "undermining" with the suffix "-ly" attached, which turns an adjective or participle into a description of manner. The base "undermining" is itself the present participle of "undermine," a verb built from "under" and "mine." Literally, to undermine something was to dig a tunnel beneath it, most often a fortification or wall, so that the structure would collapse into the cavity. The military sense is the root from which the figurative sense of weakening something from below developed. The adverb carries that figurative sense into manner. Something done "underminingly" works against a structure without openly attacking it, eroding its foundations while outwardly appearing to go along with it. The word is therefore a compact way of describing cooperation that is really sabotage, with the image of a hidden tunnel preserved in its ancestry.

Synonyms: subversively, sabotagingly, insidiously, insidiously, deceptively

Antonyms: supportively, constructively, helpfully, positively, upliftingly