really

adverb
UK: /ˈrɪə.li/
US: /ˈriː.ə.li/

  1. In fact; in actuality; truly.

    1. I am really happy for you and your family, congratulations! [ ] [ ]
    2. She didn't really want to go to the party, but she felt obligated to do so. [ ] [ ]

  2. Very; to a great degree.

    1. This soup is really delicious, can I have some more? [ ] [ ]
    2. The movie was really long, lasting almost three hours from start to finish. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to express surprise or disbelief.

    1. Really? You won the lottery! That is fantastic, I'm so glad to hear it. [ ] [ ]
    2. Really, you expect me to believe that story after all the evidence against it. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

truly extremely very actually absolutely genuinely indeed
really interjection

  1. Used to express agreement or understanding; 'is that so'.

    1. It's raining outside. Really? I didn't notice it, thanks for the warning. [ ] [ ]
    2. He said he's quitting his job. Really? What's he planning to do next in life. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "really" in English means: In fact; in actuality; truly., Very; to a great degree., Used to express surprise or disbelief..

The phonetic transcription of "really" is /ˈrɪə.li/ in British English and /ˈriː.ə.li/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "really": truly, extremely, very, actually, absolutely, genuinely, indeed.

Example usage of "really": "I am really happy for you and your family, congratulations!". More examples on the page.