1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

actually

adverb

ˈak-ch(ə-w)ə-lē How to pronounce actually (audio)
Definition of actuallynext
1
as in honestly
to tell the truth actually, I'd rather spend the evening at home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in really
in actual fact I call her Aunt Emily, but she is actually my cousin, not my aunt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of actually These are players Newcastle United attempted to sign on multiple occasions — or at the very least held a long-term interest in — but who never actually made the move to St James’ Park. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 For homeowners who know what major repairs actually run, the math can work decisively in your favor. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 The godwits that wintered farther away, in Portugal, actually fared better than those that wintered in England. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 Spit in a tube, mail it off, get back a number that supposedly reveals how fast your body is actually aging. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for actually
Recent Examples of Synonyms for actually
  1. honestly
  2. really
  3. frankly
  4. very
  5. indeed
  6. truly
Adverb
  • Use the language of the job description honestly, spell out key skills and focus on measurable outcomes.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • So far, nothing’s happened, which is honestly more unsettling than if something did.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of honestly
Adverb
  • The player who really caught the eye, though, was Ao Tanaka, whose superb performance helped Leeds control midfield.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And although showing the documentary in New York was exciting, what Valencia and Zegarra really wanted was to release it in Peru.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of really
Adverb
  • But that was a concerning — and quite frankly, shocking — second-half performance for this defense.
    — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Republican House members were being asked to pay $25,000 for convention tickets and lodging, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to speak frankly about the private arrangement.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of frankly
Adverb
  • The Microtransat achievement represents more than a tiny boat completing a very long journey.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Turns out the two had a rather close bond, as Elia was very politically savvy compared to the naïve Rhaegar.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • Oh, and Vienna’s the most livable city in the world, according to The Economist—and the quality of life inside the Rosewood is very good indeed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • But the basic desire for this film was indeed the contrast between a specific territory and this group of young people.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of indeed
Adverb
  • Joscha Bach of the California Institute for Machine Consciousness, another AGI pioneer, says a truly intelligent system should not need to devour the entire Internet and consume vast amounts of computing power for even the simplest query.
    — George Musser, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Our go-tos are the classic pepperoni and the hot sausage with brown butter sage (divine, truly).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of truly

Browse Nearby Words

actualizing
actually
actuate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Actually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/actually. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All