Standard Lemma guide

pointedly

adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P OY1 N T IH0 D L IY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P OY1 N AH0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Explicitly; with emphasis; so as to make a point, especially with criticism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Wittily or pithily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Markedly, intentionally conspicuously.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I was pointedly ignored.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

in such a manner as to make something clearly evident

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he pointedly ignored the question

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English pointed Middle English -ly English -ly English pointedly From pointed + -ly.