Synonyms

totally

American

[toht-l-ee] / ˈtoʊt l i /

adverb

wholly; entirely; completely.

The two sisters have totally different personalities.
Informal. (used as an intensifier).

I totally cried when the movie ended. That was totally not what I meant.

interjection

Informal. definitely; absolutely (used to express complete agreement or strong affirmation).

Yes, totally, he should apologize to you!

Etymology

Origin of totally

First recorded in 1500–10; total + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s not the most likely scenario, but it’s not totally implausible either.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

"The air force is totally gone - 100 per cent."

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

“This was all totally new,” said Beard, an Australian tour operator.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor has become one of the most visible Bitcoin bulls over the last few years, and the decision to sell—while not totally unexpected —likely dented retail investors’ confidence in the asset.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

She had been so caught up in her work she had totally forgotten the first rule of frybread.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023