really

adverb

re·​al·​ly ˈrē-(ə-)lē 

1

a

: in reality : actually

things as they really are

there was nothing peculiar about her doing this, really

—Peter Taylor

b

: truly, unquestionably

—used as an intensifier

a really beautiful day

c

: very sense 1

look really close

he runs really fast

2

—used to emphasize an assertion

you really should read Yeats

really, you're being ridiculous

Synonyms

• actually
• authentically
• certifiably
• genuinely
• truly
• veritably
• very

Examples of really in a Sentence

The dog runs really fast.

The water is really hot.

She's a really nice person.

I had a really good time at the party.

Recent Examples on the Web

So is Newsom really positioning himself for a presidential run? —Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024

Or, to be more direct: Do the Niners really believe that’s what’s in store for them in the second half? —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024

But really, my question here is this: Do doctors really sleep shirtless in the on-call room? —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024

The overall difference between Apple's M4 chip and even excellent Intel options like the Core Ultra 7 processors used in the Dell XPS 14 and HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11 really stands out in our testing. —Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing really

• not really

Kids Definition

really

adverb

re·​al·​ly ˈrē-(ə-)lē 

ˈri(-ə)l-ē

1

: in actual fact : actually

didn't really mean it

2

: without question : truly

a really beautiful day

3

: very entry 2 sense 2

look really close

he runs really fast

4

: to be honest : frankly