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Synonyms

really

American  
[ree-uh-lee, ree-lee] / ˈri ə li, ˈri li /

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 British  
/ ˈrɪəlɪ /

adverb

  1. in reality; in actuality; assuredly

    it's really quite harmless

  2. truly; genuinely

    really beautiful
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. an exclamation of dismay, disapproval, doubt, surprise, etc

  2. an exclamation of surprise or polite doubt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of really

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

Explanation

The adverb really refers to something actual or genuine. If your ring is really pure gold, does that mean he really likes you? Although the actual origin of really is unknown, it was first used in the 15th Century in the Eucharist, referring to the actual presence of Christ, and that definition holds today. Another use of the word, that of a questioning interjection ("Oh, really?"), was first recorded in 1815 and carries with it a sense of disbelief. Oh, really? You're late to work because the bus was attacked by a pack of wild boars? Do you really expect your boss to believe that?

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The lack of home buying has been a drag on the U.S economy the past few years, but not enough to really slow it down.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

He said people were getting "really upset and angry about it now".

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

"Our destinies as nations have been interlinked. As Oscar Wilde said, 'We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!'"

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

There’s betting the house on AI and then there’s really betting the house on AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

“Tansy, does Alice Roosevelt really carry a pet snake around in her purse?”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.