absurdlyadv.

1559 W. Bavand tr. J. Ferrarius Common Weale vi. iii. f. 102 It is not absurdlie saied, that a greate birde hath nede of a wide neast.

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 22 They imagined God to haue many natures although they thought somwhat lesse absurdely than the rude people did of Jupiter, Mercurie, Uenus, Minerua and other.

1610 R. Abbot Old Way 25 By a petite reason [margin absurda ratiuncula] of Pelagius he was driuen to speake absurdly thereof.

1660 R. Coke Justice Vindicated Pref. 4 Mr. Hobbs..most absurdly makes jus naturæ to be contrary to lex naturæ.

a1729 S. Clarke Serm. (1730) I. i. 20 The credulousness of Atheists, whose Belief is so absurdly strong, as to believe that Chance could make the World.

1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 548 The pastor..taught To gaze at his own splendour, and to exalt Absurdly, not his office, but himself.

1839 A. Ure Dict. Arts 274 The diamond cement..is sold as a secret at an absurdly dear price.

1878 W. S. Jevons Polit. Econ. 34 Anyone who has tried to..play the piano, without having learned to do it, knows how absurdly he fails.

1913 W. J. Locke Stella Maris i. 1 Stella Maris—Star of the Sea!.. No one could have christened an innocent babe so absurdly.

1952 A. White Sugar House i. vi. 51 Pure dog-in-the-manger. I shall be absurdly jealous of the man you marry.

1992 D. Madden Remembering Light & Stone vii. 64 There is something ridiculous about it, like buying yourself something small when you feel down,..and absurdly feeling a bit better because of it.