extremely
Americanadverb
adverb
-
to the extreme; exceedingly
-
(intensifier)
I behaved extremely badly
Usage
What does extremely mean? Extremely means to a very great degree—exceedingly. Instead of saying I’m very very tired, you could say I’m extremely tired. Extremely is the adverb form of the adjective extreme, which means of the highest degree or intensity. Extremely is almost always used to modify (describe) adjectives and almost never verbs. It emphasizes or intensifies the meaning of the adjective and indicates that its level is far beyond the ordinary. Example: At some times during the winter, it gets so extremely cold here that it’s dangerous to go outside for more than a minute.
Etymology
Origin of extremely
Explanation
Extremely is a word that emphasizes the intensity of whatever it is you're talking about. If you say you're extremely angry, that word alone tells me I better not mess with you. Extremely comes from the word extreme, which means great, severe, or exceptional. If you climb to extreme heights on a mountain, you've climbed extremely high. Use extremely to let people know that what you're talking about exceeds or goes beyond the norm. A joke that's not just funny, but extremely funny, is one that might have you gasping to catch your breath from laughing so hard.
Vocabulary lists containing extremely
List 3
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List 2
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ly
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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.
According to the World Health Organisation, the condition affects one in 10 women in the UK, and as well as extremely heavy periods, it can cause debilitating pain and sometimes infertility.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
"Doing these blanket weight loss strategies is not always the healthiest approach, especially because muscle weight will be lost along with fat and maintaining muscle is extremely important as we age," Earp says.
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
In a statement Wednesday, the CDC said that the risk to the American public “is extremely low” at this time.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Kupperman added that there’s an extremely wide dispersion of analyst estimates for Marathon and that this could lead to surprises in the research community as results are announced.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
He was very good to us and was at all times extremely supportive of me.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
