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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.

“We really have to nail productivity in general and particularly productivity on the business front,” she said during her all-hands meeting last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

“Having those awards and recognitions from precisely the spaces that you’re making films to represent, it really validates the work,” Eduvijes Carrera said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

"I do a really nice roast chicken. I love doing a spread of tacos and salads… but the best hangover cure's a proper English breakfast. That'll get me right in the morning."

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

What could be Ferguson’s most cost-conscious basket is not really a basket at all.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

It was the only one I’d ever really spent time on, so I had nothing to compare it to.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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.