Unfavorably

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that indicates a lack of support or appreciation
2. In a manner that reflects disapproval or negative judgment
3. Expressed with a negative attitude or showing disapproval

Etymology: "Unfavorably" is a plain formation: the adjective "unfavorable" with the adverb ending "-ly" added to it. The "un-" prefix is one of the oldest elements in English, descending from a Proto-Germanic form that already meant "not," and it has been attached to native words since Old English. "Favorable" arrives from Latin through French, but the negating prefix and the adverbial suffix are both native Germanic material, so the word is a hybrid of a borrowed core and inherited parts. The suffix has a longer story. "-ly" comes from Old English "-līċe," which was itself a shortened form of an older word meaning "body" or "form," related to the noun "like" in the sense of "appearance." In early English, "-līċe" meant "in the manner of," so a word like "unfavorably" originally meant something close to "in an unfavorable manner." Over centuries the ending wore down to the single syllable we now use, and it became the default way to turn almost any adjective into an adverb.

Synonyms: adversely, negatively

Antonyms: favorably, positively