richly, adv.
(ˈrɪtʃlɪ)
Forms: α. 1 r{iacu}cl{iacu}ce; 3 richelike, 3–4 -lich(e, 4 -leche, 5 -lych; 3 rychelyche, 5 -liche. β. 4–6 riche-, rychely; 4 richli, -ley, 4–6 -lie, 6– lye, 6– richly; 6 rychly, ry(t)chlie, rechlie.
[OE. r{iacu}cl{iacu}ce, = MDu. rikelike, etc. (Du. rijkelijk), MLG. rîk(e)lîken, OHG. rîh-, rîchlîcho (G. reichlich), ON. r{iacu}kulega (Sw. rikligen, Da. rigeligt): see rich a. and -ly2.]
† 1. With great authority or power. Obs.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xix. 144 Ᵹe budon swiðe riclice & swiðe aᵹendlice. c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 128 On ðam daᵹum rixode æþelbyrht cyning on Cantwarebyriᵹ riclice. |
2. In a rich, sumptuous, or splendid manner.
| α c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xvi. 19 Sum weliᵹ man wæs, & he..dæᵹhwamlice riclice [L. splendide] ᵹewistfullude. c 1205 Lay. 2728 Siluius..richeliche he nom his sonde & sende to Ebrauke. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7725 Festes he wolde holde so nobliche..& so richeliche. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 2160 (Kölbing), Aurilisbrosias out þai souȝt & richelich in erþe him brouȝt. |
| β a 1300 Cursor M. 21604 Wit-in þe kirc of sant soffie þar ha þai sett it richelie. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 35 Þe abbey of Rumeye he feffed richely, With rentes fulle gode & kirkes of pris. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1037 Dido, This fresche lady..Stod in the temple in hire estat ryal So rychely. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13690 Ermonia, þe myld,..Þat Orestes þe rynke richeli had weddit. c 1450 Merlin 188 The Duke hym contened in this maner richely as ye haue herde. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop i. xii, Better worthe is to lyue in pouerte surely than to lyue rychely beyng euer in daunger. a 1542 Wyatt in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 85 Richely she fedes, and at the richemans cost. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 4 They might liue richly and in abundance of all things. 1633 Ford Broken Heart iv. iv, For requital I will report thee to thy mistress richly. 1651 French Distill. v. 126 To make a Spirit of Amber-gryse that a few drops thereof shall perfume a pint of Wine most richly. 1754 Gray Poesy 90 Whose colours clear Richly paint the vernal year. 1797 Coleridge This Lime-Tree Bower, Richlier burn, ye clouds! 1829 Scott Anne of G. ii, His is mountain-bred, and I will reward him richly. |
b. With
pa. pples. used predicatively.
| α c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1434 His armes weren al newe, Þat richeliche were wrouȝt. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 47 What ben thei, that now riden hiere, And ben so richeliche arraied? c 1450 Lovelich Grail xxxv. 521 A lytel hows..Whiche was some tyme Richelych dyht. |
| β c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1662 Þe coupe was richeli wrouȝt, Of gold it was, þe pin. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1934 No man vpon molde schuld mow deuise Men richlier a-raid. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) ii. 6 Þe coroune lyes in a vessell of cristall, wele dight and richely. 1470–85 Malory Arthur iv. vi. 125 They..founde hit..rychely behanged with clothe of sylke. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxiii. 259 He was rychely aparellyd in cloth of golde. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. (1587) 192 With promise that they should be rechlie rewarded for their good seruice. 1637 Heywood Royall King iv. xiii, I have not seene a Modell richlier fram'd. 1670 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. V. 21 The under pettycoatt very richly laced with two or three sorts of laces. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 6 ¶11 Seventeen Volumes, very richly bound. 1756–7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) III. 187 Under this hangs another, richly set with jewels. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. I. 25 His memory was richly stored. 1825 J. Neal Bro. Jonathan I. 74 It may have been richly sculptured. 1880 C. R. Markham Peruv. Bark 120 Large pictures..in frames of carved wood, richly gilt. |
c. With
pa. pples., forming attributive combs.
| 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. i. lxxxvii. (1674) 116 The most magnificent, and richliest adorn'd Palace in all Parnassus. 1822 Scott Pirate xxxvii, A lofty, well-proportioned, and richly-ornamented Gothic window. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 369 Tobacco in any other form than that of richly scented snuff was held in abomination. 1874 J. T. Micklethwaite Mod. Par. Churches 61 In richly-furnished churches all the upper row of seats may be stalls, i.e. separated by elbows. |
d. In comb. with
adjs. or
pres. pples.| 1606 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. Magnificence 9 The glorious Temple, Builded richly-rare. Ibid. 1018 His saffron'd Ruffe is edged richly-neat With burning Carbuncles. 1848 Buckley Iliad 83 The fences of the richly-blooming fields. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis xxiv, One asked for a lock of his hair, which was long and in richly-flowing ringlets. |
3. So as to be rich.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vi. 18 He wald hafe maried me richely with a grete prince doghter. c 1440 Alph. Tales 246 Gyff me all þi gudis, at þurgh name of þaim I may richelie be marid. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage iii. xv. (1614) 321 She was faire and noble..and richly married to Sinatus the Tetrarch. a 1814 Fam. Politics i. i. in New Brit. Theatre II. 194, I hoped to see her greatly, richly married. 1876 C. M. Yonge Womankind xxxi, Their mothers..cherish wishes that their girls may ‘marry well’; i.e. richly. |
4. With possession of riches.
rare—1.
| 1588 Greene Perimedes 31 Poorely content is better then richlye couetous. |
5. Amply, fully, thoroughly.
| 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 179 Which made me repent the buying of him, though otherwise he was richly worth my money. 1694 Gibson in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 236 It seems to me to be richly worth the money. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 7 ¶17 So richly does he seem to deserve his Chastisement. 1854 Doran Habits & Men 178 She richly merited the well-earned benedictions. 1856 Hawthorne Eng. Note-bks. (1879) I. 270 The Aquarium..was richly worth inspecting. 1884 Manch. Exam. 14 May 5/2 If they did so they would richly merit the severest censure. |
6. Of colour: Intensely, deeply.
| a 1601 ? Marston Pasquil & Kath. (1878) i. 298 Her face as richly yellow as the skin of a cold Custard. 1785 Burns Scotch Drink ii, Whether thro' wimplin worms thou jink, Or, richly brown, ream owre the brink. 1792 S. Rogers Pleas. Mem. ii. 153 The bald veteran..Richly bronz'd by many a summer-sun. |