really

[ ree-uh-lee, ree-lee ]

adverb

1. in reality; actually:

   to see things as they really are.

2. genuinely or truly:

   a really honest man.

3. indeed:

   Really, this is too much.

interjection

1. (used to express surprise, exasperation, etc.)

really

/ ˈrɪəlɪ /

adverb

1. in reality; in actuality; assuredly

   it's really quite harmless

2. truly; genuinely

   really beautiful

interjection

1. an exclamation of dismay, disapproval, doubt, surprise, etc
2. not really?
   an exclamation of surprise or polite doubt

Usage

See very

Word History and Origins

Origin of really¹

First recorded in 1400–50; real ¹( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

“It’s an incredibly popular law and that makes sense because nobody really likes to be told who to vote for, and people aren’t going to church expecting to hear political lectures,” Markert said.

From Los Angeles Times

Will those kinds of destabilizing gambits be on the table, or is Trump instead going to be stocking the administration with incompetent charlatans who, like him, are really more interested in posting on social media and seeing their faces on TV than in doing the nuts-and-bolts work of instituting authoritarianism in America?

From Slate

Mr Sharif was pressed by Mr Emlyn Jones KC: "When you beat Sara so hard with a cricket bat that you broke her spine, did you intend to cause her a really serious injury?"

From BBC

When people pull out these examples of inefficiency, mocking the seemingly silly “wastes” of government funding, what they are really showing is their ignorance.

From Slate

What would cutting to the bone really mean, in practice?

From Slate

Related Words

• absolutely
• actually
• certainly
• easily
• genuinely
• honestly
• indeed
• legitimately
• literally
• surely
• truly
• undoubtedly
• unquestionably
• well