Really

Definition: Really

Really

Adverb

1. In accordance with truth or fact or reality; "she was now truly American"; "a genuinely open society"; "they don't really listen to us".

2. In actual fact; "to be nominally but not actually independent"; "no one actually saw the shark"; "large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt".

3. (used as intensifiers or sentence modifiers) "in truth, moral decay hastened the decline of the Roman Empire"; "really, you shouldn't have done it"; "a truly awful book"; (`forsooth' is archaic and now usually used to express disbelief).

4. Intensifiers; "she was very gifted"; "he played very well"; "a really enjoyable evening"; (`real' is sometimes used informally for `really' as in "I'm real sorry about it"; `rattling' is informal as in "a rattling good yarn").

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "really" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Satire

Tips from 1870

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Really

Truth

Adverb: truly; Adjective: verily, indeed, really, in reality; with truth; (veracity); certainly; (certain); actually; (existence); in effect; (intrinsically).

Wonder

Interjection: lo, lo and behold! O! heyday! halloo! what! indeed! really! surely! humph! hem! good lack, good heavens, gad so! welladay! dear me! only think! lackadaisy! my stars, my goodness! gracious goodness! goodness gracious! mercy on us! heavens and earth! God bless me! bless us, bless my heart! odzookens! O gemini! adzooks! hoity-toity! strong! Heaven save the mark, bless the mark! can such things be! zounds! 'sdeath! what on earth, what in the world! who would have thought it!; (inexpectation); you don't say so! You're kidding!. No kidding? what do you say to that! nous verrons! how now! where am I?

Crosswords: Really

Pidgin English (really).

Oh, really. Well, I'm so glad you called, because I forgot to tell you today what a nice ass you have (The American President; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin.)

But all I really want to do is have sex with you as soon as possible (A Beautiful Mind; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

I'd really like to know, and she'd die before she'd ever tell me about it. (American Beauty; writing credit: Alan Ball)

And when he found me, he told me I wasn't really looking for him. I was looking for an answer (The Matrix; writing credit: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski.)

You really believe this, don't you, that you're a vampire (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice)

Ya know ya really love a woman (Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?; performing artist: Bryan Adams)

Do you really want to make me cry (Do You Really Want to Hurt Me; performing artist: Culture Club)

Doesn't really matter what the eye is seeing (Doesn't Really Matter; performing artist: Janet)

Is she really gonna take him home tonight (Is She Really Going Out With Him?; performing artist: Joe Jackson)

Nothing really mattered to me (Nothing Really Matters; performing artist: Madonna)

Drink wet cement and get really stoned. (references; author: unknown)

Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island (references; author: unknown)

West Virginia: One Big Happy Family ... Really! (references; author: unknown)

North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States! (references; author: unknown)

Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster (references; author: unknown)

Jerry's berry jelly really rankled his broiling belly. (references; author: unknown)

Sri Lankans are really leery of Landry's rules. (references; author: unknown)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

The Really Big Family (1966)

Really Big Act (1961)

Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? (1952)

A Really Important Person (1947)

Doesn't Really Matter (performing artist: Janet Jackson)

Is She Really Going Out With Him? (performing artist: Joe Jackson)

Nothing Really Matters (performing artist: Madonna)

The One Who Really Loves You (performing artist: Mary Wells)

Are The Good Times Really Over (performing artist: Merle Haggard)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity? (reference)

• Little Actors Theater: Four Plays to Act Out With Three-Dimensional Scenes and Characters That Really Move (reference)

• Hidden Messages : What Our Words and Actions Are Really Telling Our Children (reference)

• Dancing on the Glass Ceiling : Tap into Your True Strengths, Activate Your Vision, and Get What You Really Want out of Your Career (reference)

• The Way Things Really Work (And How They Actually Happen) (reference)

  (more book examples)

Periodicals

• Athlons The Really Big Ten (reference)

  (more periodical examples)

Theater & Movies

• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (reference)

• Playboy: Really Naked Truth (reference)

• National Geographic's Really Wild Animals: Swinging Safari (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1995 Revival) [CAST RECORDING] [CAST RECORDING] (reference)

• Really Cool Songs (reference)

• Really Rosie (1975 Television Special) [SOUNDTRACK] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Consumer Goods

• OXO Good Grips Uplift Teakettle, Really Black (reference)

  (more baby examples; more wireless phone examples; more garden examples; more kitchen examples; more tool examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Sometimes folks go crazy in the Arctic Not really!!! Just taking a bath Triangulation party of Lorne G. Taylor. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

A really giant conch on the roof of the "Hard Conch" restaurant. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Fred Walton ready for ghostbusters - the truth is out there! Really Fred was wired up for a sleep/brainwave medical experiment. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Lieutenants Dave Neander (l) and Rich Behn (r) at Seal Island They're really in the "cold seat!". Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Really Me : Action On Drug Abuse. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

If you really love him... Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Photographed circa 1894-99. Identification on the original photo of this ship as Cincinnati is incorrect. Details of bow decoration confirm that this cruiser is really Raleigh. Credit: NAVY.

Letterpress reproduction, printed on a postal card, of a photograph of the ship in her original configuration, with short smokestacks, possibly taken during her trials in mid-1926. The 1929 edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships" published this view as representing Furutaka, sister ship of Kako, but steampipe locations on the forward smokestack indicate that this ship really is Kako. Despite the printed caption on the original postal card, this view looks nothing like Aoba and Kinugasa. Credit: NAVY.

How to handle wild men and really serious things like that. Credit: Library of Congress.

Bernard Shaw--"say, Einie, do you really think you understand yourself?" Dr. Einstein--"no, Bernie--do you?" / O. Herford. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The mischief this man does me is a hundred, or possibly a thousand times more than the other perhaps intended me (whom I killed before he really did me any); and yet I might lawfully kill the one, and cannot so much as hurt the other lawfully. (Second Treatise of Government)

Of all the classes that stand face to face with the bourgeoisie today, the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

I really must talk to him about purchasing a donkey

We lose half the pleasure we might have in Life, by not really attending

And I no more believe Topper was really blind than I believe he had eyes in his boots

One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them

What he really did whisper, the minister could never afterwards recollect

The glances of women are like certain apparently peaceful but really formidable machines

The clear certitude of his own immunity grew dim and to it succeeded a vague fear that his soul had really fallen unawares

Sometimes I think the flutter in her heart is really in her brain

Mae really smiles with all her might at truck drivers

This man seemed to me to lean over the cornice, and timidly whisper his half truth to the rude occupants who really knew it better than he.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

I bought a pair of boots--galoshes really. (references)

This can keep you from having a really bad asthma attack. (references)

However, many people think they have too much gas when they really have normal amounts. (references)

Business

The ones in the middle are really struggling. (references)

It really depends on suppliers' strategies for the market. (references)

American firms have never really had a presence in the small or medium-size consultancy markets. (references)

Civil Liberties

Kazakhstan

President Nazarbayev asked "What are akims for? Is it really difficult for you to use your powers to monitor the legality of the activities of (religious groups)--closing them, if necessary? It has become fashionable to build mosques, churches, and prayer houses willy-nilly on land set aside by akims, but nobody is asking whether the mosques and churches are needed." Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses alleged continuing incidents of harassment by a number of local governments. (references)

Economic History

Uzbekistan

Cross-shareholding among banks is common, and very few banks are really sound. (references)

Switzerland

While most issues are not really contentious, talks on customs fraud are moving slowly. (references)

Travel

Cote D'ivoire

Before taking a taxi, check to see if the driver really knows where you want to go. Visitors should note that the charge for service from the airport is a flat rate, and the taxi driver will not use the meter. (references)

Worker Rights

Russia

Because of the inability of local employment agencies to provide benefits or to absorb laid-off employees from some factory towns, local governors and mayors often overturn the enterprises' decisions to lay off workers who are not really working. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "really": it's really too bad! ♦ not really ♦ really and truly! ♦ really bizarre ♦ really comfortable ♦ really cozy ♦ really well ♦ she's really bitchy ♦ that's really something!. Additional references.

Ending with "really": night-really, sur-really.

Containing "really": i-am-not-really-dead-but-just-popped-out-for-a-packet-of-fags, lf-you-really-loved-me-you'd-love-my-failure-too, not-really-an-aunt, oral-aggressive-anal-retentive-come-and-see-me-five-times-a-week-for-years-at-vast-expense-or-how-do-i-know-you're-really-committed.

Afrikaans

werklik (absolutely, genuinely, genuinly, indeed, true, truly), rektig (absolutely, genuinely, genuinly, indeed, truly), regtig (genuinely, indeed, truly), darem (absolutely, genuinely, genuinly, indeed, truly), sowaar (absolutely, actually, genuinely, genuinly, in fact, indeed, truly). (various references)

Albanian

vërtet (actually, fairly, genuinely, indeed, literally, properly, truly, verily, yeah, ywis). (various references)

Arabic 

‏في الواقع (actually, as a matter of fact, as good as, by sheer force, de facto, factually, fundamentally, in effect, in fact, indeed, rather, reality, truly, truth), ‏من غير ريب (absolutely, alright, assuredly, decidedly, distinctly, easily, of course, sure, surely, verily), ‏مش معقول, ‏حقا (actually, amen, indeed, justly, properly, rightly, truly), ‏أخيرا (at last, eventually, finally, in conclusion, in the end, last ditch, lastly, lately, latterly, that is to say, ultimately). (various references)

Basque

benetan. (various references)

Bulgarian 

хайде де (indeed), фактически (actual, actually, as a matter of fact, de facto, factual, factually, in fact, morally, practical, practically, substantial, virtual, virtually), всъщност (actually, in reality, indeed, practically, properly speaking, substantially, virtually), наистина (actually, all right, for real, forsooth, in all verity, in sooth, indeed, real, sure, sure enough, surely, true, truly, verily, yea), действително (actually, indeed, sure enough). (various references)

Catalan

veritablement (absolutely, genuinely, indeed, truly). (various references)

Chinese 

的確 (indeed), 真正地 (genuinely, Re-ally), 確實 (indeed, real, reliable, true), 果真 (indeed), 果然 (as expected, sure enough), 其實 (actually, in fact, that is not the case), 寔 (solid), 實在 (concrete, honestly, in reality, verily), 實 (honest, real, solid, true). (various references)

Czech

opravdu (actually, genuinely, in fact, indeed, sincerely, so, sure enough, truly). (various references)

Danish

faktisk (actually, as a matter of fact, genuinely, in fact, indeed, truly). (various references)

Dutch

echt (absolutely, authentic, genuine, genuinely, indeed, marriage, matrimony, true, truly). (various references)

Esperanto

reale (genuinely, indeed, truly), vere (absolutely, genuinly, indeed, truly). (various references)

Estonian

tõesti. (various references)

Farsi 

واقعا (Bodily, Indeed, Quite, Simply, Verily), راستی (Indeed, Integrity, Probity, Rectitude, Sooth, Troth, Truth, Veracity, Verity). (various references)

Finnish

varsinaisesti (actually), todenteolla (actually, in earnest, truly), toden teolla, todellakin (indeed), todella (truly), oikein (correctly, quite, right, rightly, very), oikeastaan (in point of fact, in reality, properly). (various references)

French

vraiment, réellement, en réalité (in real life). (various references)

French Canadian

vraiment. (various references)

German

wirklich (absolutely, actual, factual, genuine, genuinely, indeed, intrinsic, intrinsically, just, literally, objective, objectively, positively, practical, proper, quite, real, substantial, sure enough, true, truly), wahrlich (absolutely, certainly, definitely, forsooth, genuinely, indeed, sooth, Truly, verily), wahrhaftig (absolutely, actually, egad, genuinely, honest, indeed, true, truly, truthful, truthfully), tatsächlich (absolutely, actual, actually, as a matter of fact, defacto, effective, genuinely, in fact, indeed, objectively, practical, real, true, truly, virtual). (various references)

Greek 

όντωσ (in fact, truly, yea), πράγματικά, πράγματι (actually, defacto, indeed, quite, sure enough), πραγματικώσ (in fact, realistically), πραγματικά (actually, veritably), αλήθεια (reality, sooth, troth, trueness, truth, veracity, veritableness). (various references)

Guarani

hi'ajuporãmapa (are they already really ripe). (various references)

Hebrew 

ממש (concreteness, importance, reality, substance, very), באמת (in sooth, truly). (various references)

Hungarian

tényleg (genuinely, in all conscience, in effect, in reality, indeed, positively, truly). (various references)

Indonesian

nian (very), betul (correct, exact, fine, right, true). (various references)

Italian

davvero (absolutely, earnest, genuinely, genuinly, indeed, so it does, so it is, sure, truly), infatti (absolutely, as a matter of fact, genuinely, genuinly, in effect, in fact, indeed, truly), veramente (actual, actually, downright, effective, forsooth, in fact, indeed, rather, real, truly). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

全く (completely, entirely, indeed, perfectly, truly, wholly). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

そう (seeming, so), しんに (actually, truly), まったく (completely, entirely, indeed, perfectly, truly, wholly), まことに (absolutely, actually, indeed, truly), どうも (how, much, no matter how hard one may try, quite, somehow, thanks, very), つくづく (completely, deeply, intently, severely, thoroughly), ほんとうに (truly), いかにも (indeed, phrase meaning agreement), げんに (actually, fortify, rigidly, secure, severely, strengthen, strictly), はたして (as was expected). (various references)

Korean 

진짜적으로 (genuinely, Re-ally). (various references)

Manx

dy firrinagh (candidly, true, truly, verily), dy feer (bona fide, exceedingly, sincerely, true, truly). (various references)

Norwegian

jaså. (various references)

Papiamen

realmente (genuinely, indeed, truly). (various references)

Pidgin English

really. (various references)

Pig Latin

eallyray.(various references)

Polish

rzeczywiście (absolutely, actually, genuinely, in fact, indeed, truly). (various references)

Portuguese

verdadeiramente (absolutely, actually, forsooth, genuinly, indeed, naturally, real, surely, truly, verily), realmente (absolutely, actually, indeed, quite, real, sincerely, virtually), na verdade (indeed, verily), deveras (absolutely, genuinly, indeed, truly). (various references)

Portuguese Brazilian

realmente. (various references)

Romanian

realmente (actually, truly, virtually), zãu (actually, by heaven, by jove, by my faith, forsooth, honest, honour bright, indeed, on my soul, upon my word), mai (afresh, again, all over again, anew, another, approximative, beater, beetle, else, heh, heyday, I say, mallet, may, more, no, oh my, once more, paddle, rammer, rubbish, still), efectiv (actual, actually, effective, real, strength, substantial, virtually), aievea (actual, actually, real, true), într-adevãr (forsooth, in good sooth, in sooth, in truth, indeed, quite, verily), în realitate (actually, as it is, in real life, in very deed). (various references)

Russian 

действительно (actually, for fair, in point of fact, indeed). (various references)

Scottish

rìreadh, a rìreadh, gu dearbh (absolutely, certainly, genuinely, indeed, truly). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

zbilja (indeed), zar (veil), zapravo (actually, as a matter of fact, de facto, fact: in fact), zaista (indeed, matter of fact, sooth: in sooth, though, truly, verily), stvarno (downright, fairly, positively, substantially, virtually). (various references)

Slovene

resnièno. (various references)

Sotho

ao. (various references)

Spanish

verdaderamente (absolutely, correctly, genuinely, genuinly, indeed, properly, quite, rightfully, truly), en realidad (absolutely, actually, as a matter of fact, genuinely, genuinly, in actual fact, in effect, in fact, in point of fact, in reality, in sooth, indeed, truly), de veras (absolutely, actual, actually, genuinely, genuinly, in earnest, indeed, objective, real, truly), en efecto (absolutely, actually, genuinely, genuinly, in effect, in fact, indeed, truly). (various references)

Swahili

kweli. (various references)

Swedish

faktiskt (actually, factually, honestly, in fact, in point of fact, indeed, virtually), verkligen (actually, greatly, honest injun, indeed, intrinsically, just, oh, positively, properly, quite, sure, truly), sannerligen (absolutely, genuinely, in sooth, indeed, truly, verily, veritably), egentligen (actually, in fact, intrinsically, properly, proporly). (various references)

Tagalog

talaga, naman. (various references)

Turkish

sahiden (actually, for real, honest, honestly, joking apart, real), sahi (actually, true), mutlâka (absolutely, bound to, by all manner of means, in all conscience, needs must, sure, unconditionally, without fail), kesinlikle (absolutely, assuredly, blankly, by no means, certainly, decidedly, declaredly, definitely, emphatically, exactly, expressly, flatly, nohow, not by a fraction, of a surety, precisely, roundly, strictly, sure), kesin olarak (accurately, categorically, definitely, determinedly, exactly, firmly, flat, for certain, implicitly, ocularly, point blank, positively, precisely, rightly, undoubtedly, unquestioningly), gerçekten (actually, by my troth, for real, forsooth, genuinely, honest, honest injun, honestly, in fact, in point of fact, in sooth, in troth, in very deed, indeed, it's no joke, of a verity, quite, real, regularly, sure enough, true, truly, yea, yes indeed), gayet (plenty, Plumb, right), cidden (for real, in earnest, indeed, momentously, real, right, seriously, yes indeed), aslında (actually, at bottom, at heart, au fond, basically, essentially, in fact, in first place, in itself, in reality, in sober fact, in very deed, indeed, originally, primarily, substantially, verily, virtually). (various references)

Turkmen 

hakykatdan (in truth), dogrudan (true). (various references)

Ukrainian

справді (honestly, in sooth, indeed, truly, verily), вкрай (amain, badly, dead, densely, enormously, horribly, in the extreme, real, sorely, thumping), он як (eh), дуже (anxiously, awfully, bang, bitter, bloody, clinking, curiously, deep, enormously, exceedingly, frightfully, full, gey, greatly, hard, heaps, highly, hugely, immensely, in great measure, jolly, mightily, mighty, miles, much, nervously, notably, particularly, passing, precious, purely, real, shocking, some, strong, super, thumping, too, very, very much, violently, well, widely). (various references)

Vietnamese 

thật (actual, genuine, regular, sterling, substantial, true, truly), thực ra, thực (dinkum, net, sure-enough, true, truthful, veritable, very). (various references)

certe, certissime, certius, certo, num, profecto, sane, vere, verene. (various references)

haithîm. (various references)

Derivations

Words ending with "really": arboreally, areally, corporeally, ethereally, extracorporeally, funereally, incorporeally, marmoreally, surreally, unreally. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Really" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Aravalley, aravalli, areally, crealy, Geally, Greally, Irkalla, Jrfalla, Neally, Radaelli, raelly, raklli, Ralley, ralli, ralloy, rallye, Ranalli, Ravalli, readly, Reaklli, Reala, reall, reallm, rea-lly, realo, realp, realy, reellm, reelly, reely, refly, Reilley, reilly, Reillys, rellm, relly, rerly, rialy, Romalli, Ryall, ryalle, Trevallyn, Wraxall. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: rallye.

-1 letter: alley, early, layer, leary, rally, relay.

-2 letters: aery, ally, aryl, earl, eyra, leal, lear, lyre, rale, real, rely, yare, year, yell.

-3 letters: ale, all, are, aye, ear, ell, era, lar, lay, lea, ley, lye, ray, rya, rye, yar, yea.

-4 letters: ae, al, ar, ay, el, er, la, re, ya, ye.

+1 letter: alertly, allayer, allergy, areally, clearly, gallery, largely, loyaler, rallyes, ravelly, regally.

+2 letters: aerially, alderfly, allayers, allegory, blearily, gravelly, latterly, lawyerly, linearly, lyrately, neurally, raillery, rectally, reliably, retrally, serially, unreally, verbally, vernally.

+3 letters: allometry, allostery, alterably, artillery, artlessly, carefully, centrally, enterally, eternally, fallalery, fearfully, federally, generally, laryngeal, laterally, learnedly, liberally, literally, medullary, millenary, neutrally, numerally, perorally, rakehelly, regularly, relatedly, relaxedly, reliantly, secularly, severally, surreally, tearfully, thermally, tolerably, ventrally, villagery.