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In a mean manner; unworthily; basely; poorly; ungenerously. While the heaven-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies. Milton. Would you meanly thus rely On power you know I must obey Prior. We can not bear to have others think meanly of them [our kindred]. I. Watts.

his heart is made of. South. Gentlemen of brave mettle. Shak. The winged courser, like a generous horse, Shows most true mettle when you check his course. Pope. To put one one's mettle, to cause or incite one to use one's best efforts.

uality or state of being munificent; a giving or bestowing with extraordinary liberality; generous bounty; lavish generosity. The virtues of liberality and munificence. Addison.

t reserve or false pretense; sincere; characterized by sincerity; unfeigned; frank; also, generous; liberal; bounteous; -- applied to personal appearance, or character, and to the expression of thought and feeling, etc. With aspect open, shall erect his head. Pope. The Moor is of a free and open nature. Shak. The Frenc…

Generous; liberal; munificent. -- O"pen-hand`ed*ness, n. J. S. Mill.

Candid; frank; generous. Dryden. -- O"pen-heart`ed*ly, adv. -- O"pen-heart`ed*ness, n. Walton.

Not inconsiderable; large; hence, generous; free; as, a round price. Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum. Shak. Round was their pace at first, but slackened soon. Tennyson.

Noble; generous; magnificent; princely. How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio Shak.

ess. Some [brutes] show that nice sagacity of smell. Cowper. Natural sagacity improved by generous education. V. Knox.

Shooting out up; springing; projecting. He had in himself a salient, living spring of generous and manly action. Burke.

vil of a man to his face or behind his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the most generous, but yet is a great fault, and that which we call "reviling;" the latter is more mean and base, and that which we properly call "slander", or "Backbiting." Tillotson. [We] make the careful magistrate The mark of slander.…

rodigal; one who lavishes or wastes his estate. Also used figuratively. A woman who was a generous spendthrift of life. Mrs. R. H. Davis.

mediately; as, the arrow went straight to the mark. "Floating straight." Shak. I know thy generous temper well; Fling but the appearance of dishonor on it, It straight takes fire, and mounts into a blaze. Addison. Everything was going on straight. W. Black.

iquity, or compromise; hence, unqualified; thoroughgoing. [Colloq. U.S.] Straight-out and generous indignation. Mrs. Stowe.

h, and bone. Shak. Ye dregs of baseness, vultures among men, That tire upon the hearts of generous spirits. B. Jonson.

Not guided by, or conformed to, conscience. [Obs.] Ungenerous as well as unconscionable practices. South. -- Un*con"scion*a*ble*ness, n. -- Un*con"scion*a*bly, adv.