deep down

1. At bottom, basically. For example, Deep down she was a rebel, or Although he would never admit it, deep down he was very fond of her. [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

"But actually, it helped me heal and deep down I knew I'd have a child one way or another."

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“I never truly believed that. Not deep down.”

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“I’d like that, sir,” I responded politely, though deep down inside I couldn’t believe my good fortune.

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Sarabia brought the curtain down on his playing career aged just 24, knowing deep down he could not reach the heights he had hoped to.

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Washington, Jefferson and Secretary of War Henry Knox “knew, deep down, that Indian removal was incompatible with the republican values they cherished.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• built-in 
• chronic 
• deep-rooted 
• inbred 
• inherent