Definition of "bigly"

He looked at Mrs. Harling, who loomed bigly in the dull light.

1915, Cosmo Hamilton, The Miracle of Love, page 256

Big Bessie's feet hurt like nobody's business, / but she stands—bigly—under the unruly scrutiny, stands in the wild weed.

1968, Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Second Sermon on the Warpland”, in In the Mecca

I have only one real (and ridiculous) reason—the reflection of my awestruck 5 year old face in a head mirror. […] I gripped my mother's hand while she spoke to a big voice from a big face from a big man in a big white coat. He suddenly stopped and turned his big eyes on me. I dug my nails into my mother's hand. He reached out his big hand over the menacing silver array on his desk. I closed my eyes tightly. He said something … bigly.

2003 April 5, S Alam Hannan, “The instrument that determined my practice”, in BMJ: British Medical Journal‎

I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong

2006 October 23, Rush Limbaugh, rushlimbaugh.com‎

In the light and air the shadows of the clouds move bigly over the baby's arms.

2008, Joy Katz, “On Sharon Olds: Big Baby”, in Arielle Greenberg, Rachel Zucker, editors, Women Poets on Mentorship: Efforts and Affections, page 79

By the way, isn't my handwriting more appropriate now? You complained that I was writing too bigly for airletters and sort of cheating you of information.

2011, Norman Rush, Mortals, page 10

Halfway through the song, the audience decided that they actually really loved me because they started clapping and whooping and standing up. I smiled really bigly' and sang louder.

2012, AJ Stern, Rocking Out!

That is, start to renegotiate, gain some minor concessions then declare victory bigly.

2017 July 18, Tim Worstall, “Trump's Nafta Renegotiation - Insist On Minor Changes, Declare Victory Bigly”, in Forbes

What was the strange urgency? The thought hovered bigly […]

2020, Paul Rausch, The Secret, page 449

Klobuchar delivered in Biden's moment of need. Bigly, as some might say. Her gift should be just as bigly.

2020 March 5, Mike McFeely, “How does Vice President Klobuchar sound?”, in Duluth News Tribune

Thesse men did much in order to publicke good, befor they spake biglie; bot done nothing since, saue that they haue drawin away considerable forces, raissed at wast charges for the publicke defence.

1651, James Balfour, “[The Annales of Scotland.] Some Shorte Memories and Passages of Staite, from the 13 day of Marche, 1651, to the first of Januarij, 1653”, in [James Haig], editor, The Historical Works of Sir James Balfour of Denmylne and Kinnaird, Knight and Baronet; Lord Lyon King at Arms to Charles the First, and Charles the Second. Published from the Original Manuscripts Preserved in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, volume III, London: Printed for Hurst, Robinson & Co. and Arch[ibald] Constable & Co. Edinburgh, published 1825, pages 311–312

It was well obſerved by the late pious Dr Doddridge, that "The eternal ſalvation of one ſoul is of far greater importance, and bigly pregnant with far greater events, than the temporal ſalvation, wealth, well-being, or happiness of a whole kingdom, though it were for the ſpace of ten thouſand, or of ten millions of ages; […]"

1790, [James Graham], “The Infallible Guide to Eternal Blessedness; or, the Awful Worth, and Very High Dignity of the Soul, Arising from Its Immortality; [...]”, in The Guardian of Health, Long-Life, and Happiness: or, Doctor Graham's General Directions as to Regimen, &c. [...] To which are Added, the Christian's Universal, being a Paraphrase on Our Lord's Prayer; and a Complete and Infallible Guide to Everlasting Blessedness in Heaven!, Newcastle upon Tyne: Printed by S. Hodgson; and sold by the author; —by Mr Richardson, Royal Exchange, London; —Mr J. Guthrie, Nicholson-street, Edinburgh; and by Mr Cruttwell, Bath, page 7

Tell me about The Mamas & Papas[sic], Bob. I believe you’re backing them very bigly, and they’re great. I believe you're backing them.

2000, Keith Badman, The Beatles Off the Record, London: Omnibus Press

And he [Henry David Thoreau] was very strong to, for the, for the—against slavery. He was very bigly against that. Slavery was going on in America, enslaving the black people.

2016, Ray Cashman, quoting Patrick James (“Packy Jim”) McGrath, “Person and Place, Life and Times”, in Packy Jim: Folklore and Worldview on the Irish Border, Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, page 63

Would'ſt thou not rather chooſe a ſmall renown, / To be the mayor of ſome poor paltry town, / Bigly to look, and barbarouſly to ſpeak; / To pound falſe weights, and ſcanty meaſures break?

1795, Juvenal, “The Works of Juvenal. Translated by John Dryden, Esq. and Others. Satire X.”, in John Dryden, transl., edited by Robert Anderson, The Works of the British Poets. With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, by Robert Anderson, M.D., volume XII, London: Printed for John & Arthur Arch; and for Bell & Bradfute, and J. Mundell & Co., Edinburgh, page 699, column 2

In any event, he adopted the whole of [William] Lauder's malignity; and let his partisans first clear him of this offense before they talk bigly of his innocence, and bluster in his cause.

1822, Charles Symmons, “Appendix”, in The Life of John Milton, 3rd edition, London: Printed for G. and W. B. Whittaker, Ave Maria Lane, page 483

Of the Three General Modes of Newspaper Amplification, the first is adapted to persons who talk bigly without difficulty. Its Effect is indeed admirable. There is no fact or conceit so trivial and foolish that it may not be metamorphosed into the Highest Wisdom, or, at least, into the Tone and Semblance of the Highest Wisdom, by the Polysyllabic Method of Spreading. But to those who find it difficult to talk bigly, the adaptation of this method will be attended with the labour of a frequent recurrence to the Dictionary, a thing to be sedulously avoided by all who desire to novel politely, that is to say, easily, alike to Reader and to Writer.

1859 June, G. Buffini Wufficks [probably a pseudonym], “The Polite Art of Novelling. A Didactic Fiction.”, in John R[euben] Thompson, editor, The Southern Literary Messenger; Devoted to Every Department of Literature and the Fine Arts, volume XXVIII (New Series, volume VII), Richmond, Va.: Macfarlane, Fergusson & Co., proprietors, pages 445, column 2, and 446, column 1

"And steek it weel, thy biglie bower, / And by the rood thee sain; / And tell thy bedes in haly guise, / Till this ae night is gane!"

1806, Robert Jamieson, “Donul and Evir”, in Robert Jamieson, editor, Popular Ballads and Songs, from Tradition, Manuscripts, and Scarce Editions; with Translations of Similar Pieces from the Ancient Danish Language, and a Few Originals by the Editor, volume I, Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co. Edinburgh; Cadell and Davies, and John Murray, London, page 235

When I was in my bigly bower, / I wore but what I would; / This night I'm lighter 'mang Willie's horse feet, / I fear I'll die for cold.

1828, Peter Buchan, “Burd Helen”, in Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland, hitherto Unpublished. With Explanatory Notes, by Peter Buchan, Corresponding Member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, volume II, Edinburgh: Printed for W[illiam] & D[avid] Laing, and J. Stevenson [et al.], page 35