really

adverb

ˈrē-(ə-)lē How to pronounce really (audio)
Definition of reallynext
1
as in very
in actual fact I'm really sorry I upset you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in actually
to tell the truth well, really, I'd rather go to the movies than go to dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in definitely
without any question that was really a sweet gesture on your part

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in extremely
to a great degree really tired after staying up all night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of really Which brings us to Louisiana, where none of that really happened in Friday's game between University Lab and Collegiate. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Carrousel is really about taking that collaboration further and doing it on a much bigger scale. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 The home's standout feature is that large porch, which really boosts living space and looks like a pleasant place to host guests. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Could a movie that might be A24’s third-biggest awards priority really do something no other doc has ever done? — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for really
Recent Examples of Synonyms for really
  1. very
  2. actually
  3. definitely
  4. extremely
  5. truly
  6. honestly
  7. certainly
  8. terribly
Adverb
  • One of the other things that Claude noticed was that these array of associated reverse transcriptases seem to be isolated to jumbo phages, which have very large genomes for bacteriophage.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There’s very few cases where a fan actually gets to stand beside the man and add onto the man’s legacy.
    — Christine Imarenezor, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • But Hall and Woodford, in separate contributions, set about improving the Keynesian model to take into account how consumers and businesses actually make decisions about whether to invest and spend.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • But actually, the precise challenge was to not treat it as a joke.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of actually
Adverb
  • Mayer also clarified that a new single is definitely coming this year.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026
  • El Pollo Loco, which is headquartered in Costa Mesa, definitely is on the move.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of definitely
Adverb
  • Experts attribute the extremely warm ocean temperatures that fueled Rachel, which peaked as a Category 3 hurricane, in part to El Niño.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • All this makes the Home app very easy to use, but extremely underpowered.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of extremely
Adverb
  • But then, ‘Reservation Dogs’ Season 1 truly changed my whole life.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This is where geopolitics is truly clashing with modern economies, and at the front line are cable installation crews and repair crews.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of truly
Adverb
  • The program leader spoke honestly about the work and the difference philanthropic support could make.
    — Karen Cochran, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The slip-ons have a clog-like feel, but the low-profile silhouette looks so luxurious—honestly, they could be mistaken for The Row.
    — Melony Forcier, InStyle, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • The song makes clear that while Jake Shane might not be this generation’s Truman Capote, Troye Sivan certainly isn’t either.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 14 Oct. 2026
  • There’s certainly many of these systems that have been found in nature, but a good number of them have gone on to be developed into useful tools.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of certainly
Adverb
  • Another issue is that AI detectors are still not terribly reliable, which Vara addresses in her piece, citing a number of studies to bolster the credentials of Pangram.
    — James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Probably nothing too terribly bad, especially since Denver has done it without much offensive consistency.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of terribly

Browse Nearby Words

reallocations
really
realm
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Cite this Entry

“Really.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/really. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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