Dictionary

terribly en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɛɹ.ɪ.bli/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English terribli. By surface analysis, terrible + -ly.

Meanings

1. (dated, literary) So as to cause terror or awe.
   • The mere sensuous impact of trumpet or saxophone, whatever it happened to be playing, was an echo, even though a faint echo, of that excitement and abandon. He wanted to taste, smell, hear: his senses were terribly alive. 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 519:
   • The lion roared terribly.
2. Very; extremely.
   • The parsnip, stilton and chestnut combination may taste good, but it's not terribly decorative. In fact, dull's the word, a lingering adjectival ghost of nut roasts past that I'm keen to banish from the table. 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 19 Jun 2025:
   • He's terribly busy and you really shouldn't bother him.
3. Very badly.
   • “A joyride gone terribly wrong,” Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said during a news conference in Steilacoom, which is about 3 miles from the island. 2018 August 10, Paige Cornwell, Agueda Pacheco-Flores, “Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed”, in The Seattle Times, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2018:
   • She took part in the karaoke, but sang terribly.

Forms

Synonyms

grisly (causing terror or awe) · horribly (very) · very (very) · awfully (very) · extremely (very)

Translations (40)

grc ἐκπάγλως (in a terrible manner) · sh strášno (in a terrible manner) · eo malbonege (in a terrible manner) · ru жу́тко (very; extremely) · ga go diail (very; extremely) · fi kauhean (very; extremely) · az dəhşət (very; extremely) · sh vèoma (very; extremely) · my အရမ်း (very; extremely) · sv hemskt (very; extremely) · it terribilmente (in a terrible manner) · ru весьма́ (very; extremely) · ru ужа́сно (very; extremely) · pl okropnie (in a terrible manner) · de furchtbar (very; extremely) · ca terriblement (in a terrible manner) · fi hirveän (very; extremely) · ru жу́тко (in a terrible manner) · hu szörnyen (very; extremely) · ru ужа́сно (in a terrible manner) · wa carapmint (very; extremely) · it estremamente (very; extremely) · es rematadamente (very; extremely) · hu borzasztóan (very; extremely) · sh grȏzno (in a terrible manner) · fi hirmuisesti (in a terrible manner) · eo aĉe (in a terrible manner) · ru стра́шно (very; extremely) · sh ȕžāsno (in a terrible manner) · ru кра́йне (very; extremely) · ru стра́шно (in a terrible manner) · fr terriblement (very; extremely) · fr terriblement (in a terrible manner) · da frygteligt (very; extremely) · grc αἰνῶς (very; extremely) · wa teribmint (very; extremely) · ru гро́зно (in a terrible manner) · fi hirveästi (in a terrible manner) · pl okropnie (very; extremely) · sh vȑlo (very; extremely)