Cool MateReally vs Terribly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Really
Top 1,000 (very common)A1adverb
Terribly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Most common: Really
| Really | Terribly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈriːəli//ˈrɪəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈriːəli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈterəbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈterəbli/"]/ |
| Meaning | very or truly | Very badly or extremely. |
| Example | I really enjoy going to the beach. | I'm terribly sorry—did I hurt you? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | really want, really good, really sure, really excited, really important | terribly wrong, terribly sorry, terribly afraid, terribly upset |
| Antonyms | seldom, never | wonderfully, fantastically, nicely |
| Common mistakes | Using it in place of 'real' when describing a noun., Confusing it with 'really' in terms of degree, e.g., 'really good' instead of 'very good'. | Using 'terribly' with positive contexts (e.g., 'terribly good' instead of 'really good')., Confusing 'terribly' with 'terrific' which has the opposite meaning., Omitting it when making a strong negative statement. |
| Usage notes | Used to emphasize an adjective or another adverb. It can be informal in casual conversations but is accepted in most contexts; avoid overusing it in formal writing. | Use 'terribly' to emphasize a negative situation or quality. It's common in both spoken and written English but avoid in formal contexts. For example, 'I felt terribly tired.' |
See it in real clips
Frequently asked questions: Really vs Terribly
What's the difference between Really and Terribly?
Really: very or truly Terribly: Very badly or extremely.
Which is more common: Really and Terribly?
Really is the most common in everyday English.
Are Really and Terribly the same CEFR level?
Really: A1, Terribly: B2 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Really and Terribly interchangeably?
Not always. Really and Terribly are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.