emphatically
Britishadverb
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with emphasis or force
-
definitely or unquestionably
Explanation
When you say something emphatically, you say it with great emphasis and force, like when you emphatically denied that you took the last cookie. Emphatically, pronounced "em-FAT-ick-lee," shares the same origin as emphasize, which means "to stress or put particular importance on something." When you say or do something emphatically, you really mean it. For example, if you emphatically say "no" when someone asks you on a date, that person isn't likely to ask you — or even look in your direction — again.
Vocabulary lists containing emphatically
A Christmas Carol
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The Giver
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Wonder
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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.
After an emphatically bullish start to 2026, Japan’s largest stock by market capitalization until last week has suddenly reversed course.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called a third strike, but Madrigal argued with the umpire, emphatically slapping his head.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
As West Ham found out the hard way on Saturday afternoon when they were thrashed 3-0 by Brentford, poor performances and dropped points are being punished emphatically by rivals this time around.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
"The Cardinal emphatically denied the media's portrayal of his meeting with Colby," Burch said.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Major Danby shook his head emphatically in sincere and bespectacled vexation.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
