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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. )

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.

“It’s really a family here,” Bell said as she and Pacheco took a break at a table draped in red cloth.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Reviewing them “was a massive effort. The agency proceeded glacially, but really we were speeding as fast as we could,” the official said.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

"It started from pain in my pelvis every day since I wake up until I go to sleep. It just never goes away really," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

"It's amazing that we're actually gonna go around and miss this thing. It was just so close and so to take all of that in was really phenomenal."

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

“Do you really fly a Spitfire?” he asked.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

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.