terribly

Adverb

terribly (comparative more terribly, superlative most terribly)

1. (dated, literary) So as to cause terror or awe.
   • The lion roared terribly.
   • The mere sensuous impact of trumpet or saxophone, whatever it happened to be playing, was an echo, even though a faint echo, of that excitement and abandon. He wanted to taste, smell, hear: his senses were terribly alive.1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 519

   Synonyms:

   grisly

2. Very; extremely.
   • He's terribly busy and you really shouldn't bother him.
   • The parsnip, stilton and chestnut combination may taste good, but it's not terribly decorative. In fact, dull's the word, a lingering adjectival ghost of nut roasts past that I'm keen to banish from the table.2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 19 Jun 2025

   Synonyms:

   very, extremely, awfully, horribly

3. Very badly.
   • She took part in the karaoke, but sang terribly.
   • “A joyride gone terribly wrong,” Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said during a news conference in Steilacoom, which is about 3 miles from the island.2018 August 10, Paige Cornwell, Agueda Pacheco-Flores, “Airplane taken from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has crashed”, in The Seattle Times, archived from the original on 30 Aug 2018