truly

adverb

tru·​ly ˈtrü-lē 

1

: in all sincerity : sincerely

truly sorry

—often used with yours as a complimentary close (as of a letter) or humorously to refer to oneself

"Who's in charge here?" "Yours truly."

2

: in agreement with fact : truthfully

Is this poll truly representative?

3

a

: indeed

—often used as an intensive

That was truly weird/awful/amazing.

or interjectionally to express astonishment or doubt

b

: without feigning, falsity, or inaccuracy in truth or fact

truly sympathetic expressions of condolence

4

: with exactness of construction or operation

5

: in a proper or suitable manner

Synonyms of truly

• indeed
• certainly
• definitely
• surely
• even
• really
• undoubtedly

Examples of truly in a Sentence

These truly dark clusters, if they are real, would betray the universe's dirty secret: Big piles of mass don't necessarily come with lights attached. —Robert Irion, Science, 20 June 2003

By the time Columbus arrived, truly large empires existed only in Mexico. —Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books, 12 June 2003

The streets and sidewalks of Bedley Run truly seemed as much mine as any person's, their almost affirming solidity underfoot, bouncing me along on my diurnal way. —Chang-rae Lee, A Gesture Life, 1999

I truly believe they can do it.

He truly enjoyed the concert.

This is truly a different situation.

A country is not truly democratic until all of its citizens can vote freely.

Is this poll truly representative of the voters' intentions?

Recent Examples on the Web

The outlay is considerable for a player of his age, whose truly best years may well be behind him. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Amenities The in-flight amenities are where Fiji Airways’ business class truly shines. — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026

Much larger trials will be needed to determine whether the therapy truly improves survival rates for these aggressive cancers. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 14 July 2026

The neighborhood is residential and local, giving the truly lived-in Barcelona feel, as opposed to the much more touristy—and crowded—areas around the Gothic Quarter. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Phrases Containing truly

• yours truly

Rhymes for truly

• cooley
• coolly
• cooly
• coulee
• cruelly
• duly
• foully
• hooley
• muley
• newly
• throughly
• bernoulli

Kids Definition

truly

adverb

tru·​ly ˈtrü-lē 

: in a true manner