terribly
Americanadverb
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in a terrible manner
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(intensifier)
you're terribly kind
Usage
What does terribly mean? Terribly means in a way that’s terrible—awfully, horribly, or extremely bad. The adjective terrible has a few different meanings, but the adverb form terribly is usually based on its sense meaning extremely bad or horrible, as in I did terribly on that test or The children behaved terribly this morning. Terribly is also commonly used to mean very or extremely, as in We’re terribly sorry. When used this way, it’s an intensifier—a word used to strengthen or emphasize the word it modifies. This sense of the word is commonly used in negative constructions, such as not terribly exciting, which means the same thing as not very exciting. Example: I’m not terribly interested in going on a trip with Jeff, especially since I’ve heard he drives terribly.
Etymology
Origin of terribly
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.
The case against the individual person doesn’t look terribly strong.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Not terribly long ago, Cleveland mortgaged its future believing that Watson was its savior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Like the events in the show, it could have gone terribly wrong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Her fans, some “who knew something was terribly wrong but assumed she had cancer or some other disease,” were aghast at her appearance whenever she took the stage.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I am not terribly invested in the outcome,” she says, but something about the way she looks around at the tents and the mud makes Bailey doubt her words.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
