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Synonyms

totally

American  
[toht-l-ee] / ˈtoʊt l i /

adverb

  1. wholly; entirely; completely.

    The two sisters have totally different personalities.

  2. Informal. (used as an intensifier).

    I totally cried when the movie ended. That was totally not what I meant.


interjection

  1. Informal. definitely; absolutely (used to express complete agreement or strong affirmation).

    Yes, totally, he should apologize to you!

Etymology

Origin of totally

First recorded in 1500–10; total + -ly


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.

See Examples For:

I played a record for him over at my house one day by Allen Toussaint called “Southern Nights” — totally out there, like “Sgt. Pepper.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

It's results based and I'm totally fine with that.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

In much of the first season of “Phony,” Connie Britton’s Ellen comes across as a totally caring and attentive mom to her boy Sonny.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Psychologist and psychotherapist Matteo Lancini said part of the problem was schools themselves because they were "totally disconnected" from young people's needs.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Manatees weren’t dangerous, but seeing this one here, now, in the pool on the roof of a building, was totally surreal.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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