verily
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of verily
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at very, -ly
Explanation
Use the adverb verily when you need an old-fashioned way to say "certainly." For example, you might say, "I verily believe that's the ugliest sweater I've ever seen." You can use the word verily to mean "truthfully," although people may not know what you're talking about, since it's mostly found in very old-fashioned writing, from the Bible to Shakespeare. In fact, Shakespeare is probably the writer most associated with the word verily: "Verily, I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born," he writes in "Henry VIII." The root is Middle English combination of very and ly, originally verraily.
Vocabulary lists containing verily
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 4
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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.
I’m sure the cast, which includes Eggers regulars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, had fun, verily.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026
And yet, verily, my soul is filled with confusion.
From Washington Post • Jan. 8, 2023
We believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord.
From Washington Times • Apr. 16, 2021
Never before has there been a season which, at this late stage, retains the capacity for such multifarious awfulness – verily, the night is dark and full of terrors.
From The Guardian • Apr. 16, 2019
He still directed philosophic operations, but it was clear to all that he was answerable to Mr. Sharpe, who lived in his house, apparently as a guest, but verily, as a master.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
