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 of really

• very
• actually
• truly

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

However, all the crowd really wanted to know from the Peaky Blinders creator was the identity of the next 007, given that Knight is writing the Amazon MGM movie (Amazon was also sponsoring the RTS event). — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026

But acting was never really considered a viable career in his family. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026

Mere days after the fire, Jalapeños in midtown (yes, really) stepped in to fill the void, with the long-running taqueria suddenly finding itself a hotbed for upstart local artists on its arboreal 21st Street patio. — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Banacolocha said that series and films set in such Spanish cities as Barcelona and Sevilla typically tell really local stories, while Madrid often simply serves as a filming location without taking a key role or being a character in the story. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing really

• not really

Rhymes for really

• billie
• billy
• chilli
• chilly
• dilly
• filly
• frilly
• gillie
• gilly
• hilly
• lily
• philly

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