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truly

/ˈtruli/
/ˈtruli/
IPA guide

Truly is an adverb that means "in truth" or "really." You would say, "That is truly beautiful" or "It was truly a beautiful wedding."

When you're truly sick, you're really sick. When you're truly sorry, you're sincerely sorry. A truly odd story is extremely strange or bizarre. A truly scary movie is terrifying. This word has to do with things that are actually or absolutely so. It's also used as a closing in letters. Instead of "Sincerely" or "Sincerely yours," many people write, "Yours truly" or "Very truly yours." The idea is: "I really mean this; you can trust me."

Definitions of truly
  1. adverb
    in accordance with truth or fact or reality
    “she was now truly American”
    synonyms: genuinely, really
  2. adverb
    by right
    synonyms: rightfully
  3. adverb
    with sincerity; without pretense
    “we are truly sorry for the inconvenience”
    synonyms: sincerely, unfeignedly
  4. adverb
    in fact (used as intensifiers or sentence modifiers)
    “a truly awful book”
    synonyms: in truth, really
Pronunciation
US
/ˈtruli/
UK
/ˈtruli/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘truly'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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