heartily
Americanadverb
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in a hearty manner; cordially.
He was greeted heartily.
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He sympathized heartily with their plight.
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without restraint; exuberantly; vigorously.
They laughed heartily.
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with a hearty appetite.
The campers ate heartily.
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I'm heartily sick of your complaining.
adverb
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thoroughly or vigorously
to eat heartily
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in a sincere manner
he congratulated me heartily on my promotion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartily
First recorded in 1250–1300, heartily is from the Middle English word hertili; see hearty, -ly
Explanation
Doing something heartily means you do it with enthusiasm. Are you ecstatic to see your best friend after a summer apart? Don't just pat her on the back — hug her heartily! When you eat heartily, you show obvious enjoyment and gusto for your food, and when you laugh heartily, you don't hold back. This enthusiastic adverb comes from hearty, which has heart at its center. So if you put your whole heart into doing something, feel free to say you do it heartily.
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.
"There's absolutely, and I can categorically say, zero chance that our film could have been funded by the CIA," he laughs heartily.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Like the others, its lead suffers heartily before falling in love with a hunk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
As it turns out, the fans heartily disagree.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
To underscore that point, Tarabay heartily interjects here with, “HELL no!”
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2025
Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when / was at Smeltings,” said Uncle Vernon heartily.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
