Forms: 3 fellik, 4 fellely, 4–5 fellich(e, 4 fell liche, fellyche), 4–6 felli(e, (6 fellye), 4– felly. Compar. 4 fellaker. [f. FELL a. + -LY2.] In a fell manner.
1. Fiercely, cruelly, harshly; with deadly malignity or destructive effect.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4143 (Cott.).
| Ful fellik þai a-gain answard, | |
| ‘Quar-for suld we of oght be ferd?’ |
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, lxxvii. 53. Temptacioun þat felly smytes þe hertes of foles.
1340. Ayenb., 174. Þe more he him smit þe more fellaker: huanne he him yziȝþ onlosti and sleauuol.
c. 1440. Gaw. & Gol., 576. The feght sa felly thai fang.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 89. The kyng hier saith so felly, that my fadre nor I dyde hym neuer good.
1555. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. viii. 179. The more thei haue, the fellier gnaweth their longing.
1566. Drant, Horace’ Sat., II. iii. With feuer quartayne, felly toste.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. xxvii.
| The hearts do ne’re agree | |
| But felly one another do upbray | |
| An ugly cloven foot this monster doth upstay. |
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., II. xliii.
| But when he found that nothing could avail, | |
| He sat him felly down and gnaw’d his bitter nail. |
1802. G. Colman, Br. Grins, Knt. & Friar, I. liii.
| First, an attack against his Foe he plann’d, | |
| Learn’d in the Field, where late he fought so felly; | |
| That is—to march up, bravely, sword in hand, | |
| And run the Friar thro’ his holy belly. |
1811. Scott, Don Roderick, li.
| For never hath the harp of minstrel rung | |
| Of faith so felly proved, so firmly true! |
1866. Reade, Griffith Gaunt, xxv. He tore the purse out of Leonard’s hand: then seized him felly by the throat.
b. † Bitterly, keenly; terribly (obs.); hence dial. exceedingly.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 479.
| He wes | |
| Woundit so felly in the face, | |
| That he wes dredand of his lif. | |
| Ibid., XVI. 217. | |
| Thai war so felly fleyit thar, | |
| That [etc.]. |
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3646.
| Oure mody kyng of Messedone · þe myschefe be-haldis | |
| Seis þaim faile so ethfully · & felly was greued. |
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 58.
| They clinge thee scalinges too wals, and vnder a sowgard | |
| They clymb, in lefthand, with shields, tools fellye rebating. |
1807. J. Stagg, Poems, The Panic, 37.
| Nae, for a meyle they ran at least, | |
| Till a’ war felly spent. |
† 2. Craftily, cunningly, artfully. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Josh. ix. 4. Thei that dwelten in Gabaon … fellich thenkynge, token to hem meetis [etc.].
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 317. Þerfore he byþouȝt hym felliche and gilefulliche to bere a doun þe children of Israel.
c. 1400. Beryn, 310.
| With half[e] a sclepy eye | |
| Pourid fellich vndir hir hood. |
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, 44. For as saynte Bernarde sayth the more effectuall & spedeful that prayer is, yf yt be done as yt oughte; the more felly, and bysely laboureth the malycyous enemy to lette yt.
