adv. [UN-1 11.]
† 1. Unreasonably; without good reason; to an unreasonable extent. Obs.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 152. Þe kyng … said he was redy, Þe testament to fulfille of kyng William, & þat his men fulle ille vnskilfully nam.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 433. Ȝif it is good to lyve, it is sacrelegy to forsake it unskilfulliche.
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1908), 147. We haue ensaumple that we schulle not lette to do gode werkes for occasioun of sclaundre vnskilfully taken of othere.
a. 1470. H. Parker, Dives & Pauper (W. de W., 1496), IV. xxv. 192/2. We sholde loue all men … with drede to offende them unskylfully.
† 2. Without discernment; foolishly; ignorantly.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 871. For almus-dede do ȝe non as ȝe demen alle, But skarsete & skaþe vn-skilfully fonden.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 251. Tarquinus made unskilfully A werre … Ayein a toun with walles stronge.
c. 1460. G. Ashby, Dicta Philos., 1211. He wol … euery thinge determen wilfully, Ayenste Reason, & eke vnskilfully.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Inscienter, Thei sayde he did vnskilfully.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. ii. 156. Therefore you speake vnskilfully: or, if your knowledge bee more, it is much darkned in your malice.
3. In an unskilful manner; inexpertly.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Imperite, vnexpertly, vnskilfully, vnlearnedly.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 496. Upon which Grotius doth freely and not unskilfully comment after this manner.
1685. Boyle, Enq. Notion Nat., vii. 266. To clear all those unskilfully framed axioms and phrases, I found to be so intricate … a task [etc.].
1735. Johnson, Lobo’s Abyssinia, Voy., v. 29. One [of the muskets] being unskillfully charged too high, flew out of the Soldier’s Hand.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. of Nat. (1834), II. 381. That it is highly blasphemous … to imagine that God should have contrived His order of second causes so unskilfully.
1848. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), III. xii. 213. The story is very unskilfully told, with an entire want of dramatic power.
1885. Law Times Rep., LIII. 325/2. The defendant … negligently and unskilfully navigated … the said vessel.
