B1adverb 2K

Incredibly

UK /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/ US /["/ɪnˈkredəbli/"]/ Pronunciation

Definition

extremely

Listen to definition

In simple words: very much or extremely

Examples

• It was all **incredibly difficult**.
• organizations doing **incredibly important** work
• incredibly stupid/boring
• incredibly powerful/strong
• incredibly lucky/talented/beautiful
• Incredibly, she had no idea what was going on.

Usage notes

Use 'incredibly' to emphasize something is true to a high degree. Appropriate in both spoken and written English, but avoid in overly casual contexts.

Grammar pattern

standalone adverb

Memory hint

Think 'incredible' + 'ly' — it expresses 'extreme incredibility'.

Collocations

• incredibly fast
• incredibly difficult
• incredibly beautiful
• incredibly talented
• incredibly lucky

Synonyms

• unbelievably

Antonyms

• barely
• slightly

Common mistakes

• Confused with 'incredible' which is an adjective.
• Using 'incredibly' in a context where 'very' would be sufficient.
• Incorrectly placing 'incredibly' before nouns, where it should modify verbs or adjectives.