The Adverb of Haughty: Haughtily
The adverb of haughty is haughtily.
How haughtily is formed
Consonant plus -y, so the y becomes i: haughty → haughti + ly = haughtily.
The standard -y rule, as in hasty → hastily and lazy → lazily.
Haughtily in a sentence
| She haughtily refused the invitation. | Rejection delivered with visible superiority. |
| He looked at them haughtily and said nothing. | Bearing and expression, not words. |
| The offer was haughtily dismissed. | Common in narrative and reporting. |
Where it is actually used
Knowing the form is one thing; knowing the company a word keeps is what makes it sound natural. These are the patterns haughtily appears in most often.
| haughtily refused / dismissed / declined | Rejection with an air of superiority. |
| looked / gazed / stared haughtily | Manner conveyed by expression alone. |
| replied / announced haughtily | Almost entirely a fiction and journalism word. |
Haughtily or something else?
Several adverbs sit close to haughtily, and the difference is usually meaning rather than formality.
| arrogantly | About believing oneself superior. Haughtily is about showing it in bearing and tone. |
| disdainfully | The focus is contempt for the other person rather than pride in oneself. |
| imperiously | About issuing commands as though they cannot be refused. |
The mistake to watch for
| Incorrect | Correct |
| haughtyly | haughtily |
The y becomes i. Note also that the gh is silent – the word is pronounced as if it were spelled hawty.
A written word, not a spoken one. Haughtily is rare in conversation and common in novels. It describes something a reader sees on the page – posture, a raised chin, a particular silence – which is exactly the work a narrator needs done and a speaker rarely does.
Related forms
Pronunciation: HAW-ti-lee, three syllables. The gh is not pronounced.
| Adjective | haughty |
| Adverb | haughtily |
| Noun | haughtiness |
| Comparative | haughtier / more haughtily |
Practice
Fill the gap, then check yourself.
- She ___ turned away without answering.
- He ___ assumed the job was already his.
- The duchess ___ summoned the servant.
Answers: 1. haughtily 2. arrogantly 3. imperiously
Frequently asked
Where does haughty come from?
From the French haut, meaning high. The gh was added by English scribes on the model of words like caught, and was never pronounced.
