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

Alice and Gemma really don’t seem to get along, and neither seems inclined to back down from their hostile postures. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

The past two years have shaped my early adulthood and molded my thought process around how far this music thing can really go for me. — Sidney Madden, VIBE.com, 19 Aug. 2026

New coach Jesse Minter is taking over a defense that really struggled to create pressure, which led to a below-average defense (20th) in my adjusted EPA metric. — Austin Mock, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

The network has experimented with different streaming models over the years, but never really seemed to find its groove. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 Aug. 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