Drastically
/ˈdræstɪkli/
Definitions
To a great extent; severely or extremely.
/ˈdræstɪkli/
In a severe and sudden way; extremely.
The weather changed drastically overnight.
💡 Simply: It's like when something changes a lot and suddenly, like when you dramatically change your mind about something. Imagine your favorite ice cream shop suddenly doubles its prices – that's a drastic change!
👶 For kids: When something changes a lot, like when you get a surprise big present. That's drastic!
More Examples
The new policy drastically reduced the amount of waste.
She drastically improved her grades after studying consistently.
The intervention drastically changed the patient's condition.
How It's Used
"The company's profits decreased drastically after the economic downturn."
"Deforestation can drastically affect the local climate."
From 'drastic' (from Greek 'drastikos' meaning 'acting effectively') + '-ally'. 'Drastic' originally meant 'acting powerfully or violently', and 'drastically' followed as an adverb to indicate a significant and often sudden change or effect.
The term 'drastically' began to be used commonly in the early 20th century to emphasize the severity and intensity of a change.
Memory tip
Think of a 'dramatic' change - it's happening 'drastically'.