dreadfully

adverb

dread·​ful·​ly -f(ə)lē 

-li

1

: with dread

he looked dreadfully over his shoulder to see if he were followed

—Eric Linklater

2

: in such a way as to cause dread : frighteningly

the war whoop ripped dreadfully through the dewy greenness and freshness

—Marjory S. Douglas

3

: in such a manner or to such a degree as to excite repugnance, pity, disgust, dissatisfaction, or unpleasantness

her response to all her varied experiences strikes the reader as dreadfully deficient in both thought and feeling

—A. S. P. Woodhouse

4

: extremely, exceedingly

I'm dreadfully tired, dreadfully stupid, nervy, worked up

—Walter de la Mare

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dredfully, from dredful + -ly

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