totally

"Totally" is an adverb. It’s similar to "very" and "really." It’s also similar to the words "completely" and "entirely."

• The car was totally destroyed in the accident.
• This agreement is totally unacceptable.
• The project is totally finished.
• Are you totally satisfied with your purchase?
• The classroom was totally quiet during the test.

The word "totally" is a popular word among younger people. You often hear "totally" used with slang and certain expressions:

• That movie was totally awesome.
• Bob totally screwed up on that song.
• Nguyen says she’s totally cool about us not going out tonight.

You can use "totally" as a one-word response:

• A: This Thai food is awesome!
• B: Totally! (I agree!)

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

This page was first published on February 12, 2012.