Totally

ˈtoʊtəli

adverbBeginner🔥Very CommonDegree
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

To a complete or extreme degree; entirely.

ˈtoʊtəli

adverbneutralBeginner
Degree

Completely; entirely; absolutely.

I totally agree with you.

💡 Simply: It means 'completely' or 'absolutely.' Imagine you're saying something is SUPER, SUPER, SUPER true or that you're feeling something very, very strongly! Like, "I am totally excited for the party!" or "The pizza was totally delicious!"

👶 For kids: It means 'completely' or 'all the way'.

More Examples

2

The movie was totally awesome!

3

She was totally unprepared for the exam.

How It's Used

General Conversation

"I'm totally exhausted after that hike."

Emphasis

"The new design is totally different from the old one."

Idioms & expressions

totally awesome

Extremely good or excellent; very impressive.

"That concert was totally awesome!"

totally bonkers

Completely crazy or insane.

"The rollercoaster was totally bonkers!"

From 'total' + '-ly', evolving from the Latin 'tōtus' meaning 'whole'. The adverbial form emphasizes completeness or entirety.

The word 'totally' gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in informal communication, as a way to emphasize the completeness of something. It was often used in casual conversation and slang.

Memory tip

Think of a total eclipse - it's totally dark.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"whole"

totally agreetotally awesometotally differenttotally unprepared

Common misspellings

totalytotallee

Usage

75%Spoken
25%Written