terribly — in a way that causes fear, dread, or great distress; extremely badly
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: in a way that causes fear, dread, or great distress; extremely badly
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈterəbli/
Example Sentences
- The food at that restaurant was terribly expensive, but terribly delicious too.
- My cat is terribly spoiled - it won't eat unless I sing to it.
- I'm terribly curious about what's inside that mysterious box.
terribly
ADVERB[/ˈterəbli/]
in a way that causes fear, dread, or great distress; extremely badly
The toddler cried terribly after dropping his ice cream on the sidewalk.
It turned out terribly, but probably as expected!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin terribilis, meaning 'causing terror' or 'frightening,' which itself comes from terrere, meaning 'to frighten' or 'to tremble.' The adverbial suffix -ly was added to the adjective form 'terrible' in Middle English to create the adverb form we use today.
Breakdown
terrible (from Latin terribilis, 'frightening') + -ly (adverbial suffix meaning 'in a manner of'), forming an adverb that modifies verbs or adjectives to express degree or manner.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The food at that restaurant was terribly expensive, but terribly delicious too.”
“My cat is terribly spoiled - it won't eat unless I sing to it.”
“I'm terribly curious about what's inside that mysterious box.”
“The magician's trick went terribly wrong when he accidentally made himself disappear.”
📚Related Words
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