especially

1 in the specific case of one person or thing as distinguished from others <all employees, but especially the administrative assistants, will need to learn to use the new phone system> Synonyms particularly, specifically Related Words individually, personally; restrictively, selectively Phrases in especial, in particular Near Antonyms broadly, widely Antonyms generally

2 to a great degree <that university is especially strong in the sciences> Synonyms achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, very, ever, exceedingly (also exceeding), extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous [chiefly dialect], mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildlyRelated Words absolutely, altogether, completely, downright, entirely, flat-out, fully, positively, purely, radically, thoroughly, totally, utterly, wholly; deeply, profoundly; exceptionally, notably, remarkably; considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially; appreciably, discernibly, markedly, noticeably, obviously, palpably, plainly, visibly; abundantly, plentifully; astronomically, grandly, monstrously, monumentally; excessively, obscenely, overmuch; amazingly, astonishingly, staggeringlyNear Antonyms meagerly, scantily; barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcelyAntonyms little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat

3 in regard to something mentioned explicitly or in detail <he especially minded the proposed changes to the work schedule> Synonyms specifically, notably, particularly, speciallyRelated Words concretely, expresslyNear Antonyms altogether, basically, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, overall, predominantly, primarily, principally, substantiallyAntonyms generally