Fromflat +-ly.
flatly (comparativemoreflatly,superlativemostflatly)
- In a physically flat or level manner.
1938, Norman Lindsay,Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.:Ure Smith, published1962,→OCLC, page214:He bent over the old woman again, with his ear turnedflatly to her lips and then to the region of her heart.
1980, Margaret Drabble,The Middle Ground:Rabbit country, the working man's uncultivable terrain. Half a mile away, square open patches of yellow sandflatly glittered, and far on the horizon cranes and vast silver cylinders stood about, ghostly shining inhabitants of the marsh.
- In adefinite manner; in a manner showingcompletecertainty.
It was an accusation that heflatly denied.
2023 August 30, “Gabon coup: The latest in a serious of military takeovers on the continent”, inBBC[1]:In 2017 in Zimbabwe, amilitary takeover brought Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule to and end. But one of the leaders, Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo, appeared on television at the time,flatly denying it was a military takeover.
- In a manner that shows noemotion.
He repliedflatly to the policeman's questions.
1946,George Johnston,Skyscrapers in the Mist, page119:"Sure you never heard of him?" he asked incredulously. "Never," I saidflatly.
1966, James Workman,The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page65:"It's barbarous, Norsus." "It's Rome," said the giantflatly.
- In sense 2 the collocation is nearly always with a negative idea. Toflatly deny. Toflatly refuse. Toflatly contradict. And so on, similarly.
in a manner showing complete certainty
in a manner that shows no emotions
