terribly

terribly — adverb

1. used before adjectives, adverbs, or some verbs to add strong emphasis — often, b

1.adverbB1
Definition

used before adjectives, adverbs, or some verbs to add strong emphasis — often, but not always, with a personal feeling of concern, regret, or sympathy — for example, telling someone you are terribly sorry for losing their book, describing a terribly cold winter, or feeling terribly worried about a friend who has not come home.

Example

Maja is terribly worried about her grandmother, who has been in hospital since Monday.

terribly + worried (emotion adjective)

Brandon was terribly sorry when he accidentally broke his friend's new phone.

terribly sorry — a fixed phrase for a strong apology

Common collocations
  • terribly sorry
  • terribly worried
  • terribly important
  • terribly sad
  • terribly kind
  • terribly cold
  • terribly wrong
  • terribly expensive
Synonyms
  • extremely

    more formal and neutral; the go-to choice in academic writing

  • very

    less emotional and weaker in force; neutral across all registers

  • awfully

    similar in intensity and emotional tone; slightly more informal in American English

  • dreadfully

    more old-fashioned British English; same range but less common today

Antonyms
  • slightly

    the opposite of a strong degree — only a little

  • mildly

    describes a weak intensity, often of emotions or reactions

Grammar Patterns

terribly + adjective

terribly + adverb

terribly + past participle

Usage Note

Strongly associated with emotional or evaluative adjectives: 'sorry', 'worried', 'important', 'sad', 'kind', 'cold', 'expensive'. Sounds more personal and conversational than 'extremely'. In formal academic or business writing, prefer 'extremely' or 'very much'. The adverb sits before the adjective it modifies ('terribly sorry'), never after it. With positive adjectives ('good', 'nice', 'beautiful'), 'extremely' sounds more natural than 'terribly'.

2. in a way that is extremely bad or unskilled, causing a very negative reaction or

2.adverbB1
Definition

in a way that is extremely bad or unskilled, causing a very negative reaction or a harmful result — for example, failing an exam so completely that there is no chance of passing, or performing a song with so many mistakes that the audience feels embarrassed for you.

Example

The band played terribly at the school concert, hitting half the notes wrong.

verb + terribly (manner)

Reuben treated his roommate terribly during the first week, never helping with the dishes.

treated someone terribly — pattern with a person as object

Common collocations
  • play terribly
  • treat someone terribly
  • go terribly
  • perform terribly
  • end terribly
Synonyms
  • dreadfully

    very similar in meaning; slightly more old-fashioned and common in British English

  • awfully

    overlaps with both senses of 'terribly'; can also be an intensifier

Antonyms
  • perfectly

    the opposite of doing something badly or unskilfully

  • beautifully

    opposite of performing or presenting something poorly

Grammar Patterns

verb + terribly

Usage Note

Position after the main verb ('played terribly', 'treated him terribly'), not before it. Manner adverbs like this one rarely sit between the subject and the verb in English — 'He terribly failed the exam' sounds unnatural. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense answers 'in what manner?', whereas sense 1 answers 'to what degree?' and sits before the adjective or verb it modifies.

Common Mistakes

He terribly sang at the party.
He sang terribly at the party.
Manner adverbs describing how something is done go after the verb, not before it.
The food was terribly.
The food tasted terrible.' or 'The food was cooked terribly.
'Terribly' modifies verbs or adjectives, not nouns directly; use the adjective 'terrible' after 'be'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words intensify an adjective or adverb, but they differ in emotional weight and register. 'Very' is the neutral default — it adds force without colour ('very cold', 'very important'), works in every register, and is safe for learners at any level. 'Extremely' is stronger and more formal, typical in academic and professional writing ('extremely rare', 'extremely dangerous'); it sounds slightly stiff in casual conversation. 'Terribly' adds a layer of personal emotion — it implies the speaker feels concerned, sorry, or impressed ('terribly sorry', 'terribly kind'). British English speakers use it more freely than Americans. 'Awfully' overlaps with 'terribly' in intensity but is a touch more informal ('awfully nice of you', 'awfully late'). 'Dreadfully' is the most old-fashioned of the group, still alive in British speech but rare in American English. For a formal report, choose 'extremely'; for everyday emphasis, 'very'; for emotional weight, 'terribly' or 'awfully'.

extremely ↗very ↗awfully ↗dreadfully

Common collocations

Phrases

  • terribly sorry
  • terribly wrong
  • go terribly
  • treat someone terribly

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Derived from the adjective 'terrible', which entered Middle English from Old French 'terrible', from Latin 'terribilis' meaning 'frightful, causing dread', itself from 'terrēre' ('to frighten'). The suffix '-ly' formed the adverb. In its earliest English uses (1300s) 'terribly' meant 'in a way that causes terror'. Over the following centuries the meaning softened: by the 1600s it was used for anything very bad, and by the 1800s it had developed a purely intensifying sense where the original idea of terror disappeared entirely — a change that mirrors the similar weakening of 'awfully' and 'dreadfully'.