really
Americanadverb
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in reality; actually.
to see things as they really are.
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genuinely or truly.
a really honest man.
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indeed.
Really, this is too much.
interjection
adverb
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in reality; in actuality; assuredly
it's really quite harmless
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truly; genuinely
really beautiful
interjection
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an exclamation of dismay, disapproval, doubt, surprise, etc
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an exclamation of surprise or polite doubt
Etymology
Origin of really
First recorded in 1400–50; real 1 ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
If critical infrastructure is damaged, he asked, how long can we really last?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
“I wasn’t thinking, ‘I really need to make sure I stay in this ZIP Code in case I run for mayor,’” Pratt said in the video.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
"After that, the one man that really kept the club alive was the chairman Bob Dorrian. Dorrian doesn't get enough credit for what he did," said Curtis.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
It’s the Epstein files that really enrage Kasamis.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
“All these tests and tubes,” said Tante Jans, who believed in them implicitly, “what do they really prove?”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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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.