Definition

In a direction that goes down or towards a lower place.

Example

The bird flew downwardly from the tree branch.

Conversation

Did you notice how the bird flew downwardly towards the ground?

Yeah, it looked like it was diving for something.

I wonder if it saw a snack down there.

Probably! Birds are pretty good at spotting food.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Downwardly → It is formed from "downward" (from Old English "dūnweard", meaning toward the bottom) and the suffix "-ly" (meaning in a manner of). The word "downwardly" means in a manner that is directed toward the bottom or lower position.

Memory Tip

Think of moving 'toward the bottom' ('downward') and the '-ly' just means in that manner. So, downwardly describes how something is directed down.

Visually Confused Words