wanly
wanly — adverb
1. with a pale, tired, or discouraged manner that shows the person has very little
with a pale, tired, or discouraged manner that shows the person has very little strength or interest left.
Noor smiled wanly at the camera before returning to the hospital room.
smiled wanly after illness or strain
After the sleepless flight, Diego waved wanly from the taxi window.
Lan thanked the nurse wanly and sank back into the pillows.
The crowd cheered, but Joshua only nodded wanly from the bench.
Minh laughed wanly at the joke, still pale after the fever.
- weakly
more common and broader; often focuses on lack of physical strength rather than a pale or dispirited look
- faintly
often means barely visible or audible, especially with sound or light
- dispiritedly
emphasises discouragement after a setback more than physical pallor
- brightly
suggests lively energy and warmth, especially in expression
- cheerfully
focuses on positive feeling rather than tired or pale discouragement
文法句型
verb + wanly
smile/nod/laugh/wave + wanly
用法筆記
Most often used for a person's expression, voice, or small response, especially when illness, worry, or disappointment shows on the face. For actions that mainly stress lack of physical power, weakly is usually the more natural choice.