✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

totally

adverb

to·​tal·​ly ˈtō-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce totally (audio)
Synonyms of totallynext
: in a total manner : to a total or complete degree : wholly, entirely

Examples of totally in a Sentence

That's a totally different issue. I am totally upset you can't make it to the celebration.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey are all styling sweaters and button-down shirts in totally different ways this season — and recreating their looks doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Taylor Jean Stephan, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025 Thanks to the Hamas terrorists, the Gaza peace plan has totally fallen apart. Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 29 Nov. 2025 That balance between insulation and airflow feels totally dialed in with these Fjallraven pants. Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025 Images from after the theft showed refrigerators almost totally empty. Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for totally

Word History

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of totally was in 1509

Cite this Entry

“Totally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totally. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

totally

adverb
to·​tal·​ly ˈtōt-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce totally (audio)
1
: in a total manner : wholly
2
: as a whole

More from Merriam-Webster on totally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!