Glidingly: meaning, definitions and examples
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glidingly
[ ˈɡlaɪdɪŋli ]
motion manner
In a smooth and effortless manner, often implying a sense of grace or ease. The term suggests a way of moving that is almost seamless, like a bird in flight or a figure skater gliding across the ice.
Synonyms
effortlessly, gracefully, smoothly.
Examples of usage
- The bird soared glidingly above the lake.
- She moved glidingly across the stage, captivating the audience.
- The canoe drifted glidingly on the calm water.
- He glided glidingly down the slope on his skateboard.
Etymology
The word 'glidingly' is derived from the verb 'glide', which traces its origins back to Middle English 'glyden', believed to have coastal influences from Old Norse 'glæða', meaning to glide or move smoothly, and possibly related to similar sounding words in other Germanic languages. The adverbial form 'glidingly' was developed in the English language to describe the manner of the action of gliding, enhancing the base word's meaning by creating a descriptive method of motion. Over time, the use of 'glidingly' has also been adopted in poetic and literary contexts to convey elegance and fluidity, solidifying its presence in the vocabulary of descriptive motion.