greatly

adverb

great·​ly ˈgrāt-lē 

1

: to a great extent or degree : very much

contributed greatly to improved relations

not greatly bothered

2

: in a great manner : nobly, magnanimously

… a man may live greatly in the law …

—Oliver Wendell Holmes †1935

Synonyms of greatly

• honorably

Examples of greatly in a Sentence

She has contributed greatly to our success.

They don't seem to be greatly bothered by the delay.

Recent Examples on the Web

After back-to-back losses at Cal and Stanford, the Mustangs could greatly help their chances with a win over Miami, which ranks third in the conference. —Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026

These findings add to a Claims Conference survey in January, which said that 9% of Irish adults believed the Holocaust was a myth, while another 17% believed the number of Jews killed had been greatly exaggerated. —Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026

In the 12-day war last June, Israeli and American strikes greatly weakened Iran’s air defenses, military leadership and nuclear program. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026

That showed at every stage, too, with both defenses greatly limiting opportunities. —Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for greatly

• lately
• stately
• innately
• ornately
• pinnately
• sedately
• precipitately