wilily

English

Etymology

From wily +‎ -ly.

Adverb

wilily (comparative more wilily, superlative most wilily)

1. In a wily manner.
   • 1533 (date written), Thomas More, “The Debellacyon of Salem and Bizance […]. Chapter XVIJ.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published April 1557, →OCLC, page 1004, column 2:

     And as wililye as thoſe ſhrewes that beguyle hym haue holpe hym to inuolue and intryke the matter: I ſhall vſe ſo playn and open a way therin, that euery man ſhall well ſee the trouth.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Joshua 9:4:

     They did worke wilily, and went and made as if they had beene embaſſadours, and tooke old ſackes vpon their aſſes, and wine-bottels, old, and rent, and bound vp, […]