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.

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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

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interjection

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

2. an exclamation of surprise or polite doubt

Etymology

Origin of really

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

Example Sentences

"She was really moving well, hitting well, especially when running to the open space," Linette said.

From Barron's

"I think we brought so many eyes on tennis. It wasn't about proving something to anyone, it was able to show that tennis can be really huge."

From Barron's

“Folks are really desperate for this information,” Park said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal

“If you are really trying to avoid capture, you go to places people don’t know about,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I came in like many players of 20 years would and thought, what are the things that I'd really just love to tackle," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

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