vastly

adverb

vast·​ly ˈvast-lē 

: to a very great or vast degree or extent : exceedingly

two people with vastly different tastes

a vastly more powerful bomb

But bluff and bravado … won against potential enemies who vastly outnumbered him.

—David Gilmour

It was the most eclectic—yet also vastly entertaining—evening of dance I have seen in a long time.

—Rita Felciano

Synonyms of vastly

• extremely
• incredibly
• very
• highly
• terribly
• too
• greatly
• severely
• badly
• so
• far
• damned
• wildly
• damn
• really
• desperately
• heavily
• much
• seriously
• intensely
• immensely

Examples of vastly in a Sentence

the team has vastly improved in the course of the season

vastly underestimated the cost of advertising the new product

Recent Examples on the Web

Ukrainian defenders, although vastly outnumbered, have fought tenaciously to hold on to the Donbas defense line, killing over 20,000 Russian troops a month in the process. —Jack Watling, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2025

The cascading legal rulings — plus the varying responses of each state to the shutoff — means people who rely on SNAP are in vastly different situations. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025

Currently in production in Nevada, the film follows two fathers from vastly different worlds who form an unlikely bond while searching for a runaway daughter in Reno. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025

The middle class does face crushing rents, but New York also operates what is vastly the largest welfare state of any city in the country. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for vastly

• ghastly
• lastly
• steadfastly