Meaning & use
groggily
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Meaning
adverb
In a weak, unsteady, and not fully awake way, as after sleep or illness.
Grammar: Used to describe how someone moves, speaks, or reacts; it usually comes after the verb or at the start of a clause.
Patterns
- do something groggily
- say something groggily
- wake up groggily
He stumbled groggily out of bed when the alarm rang.
She answered the phone groggily, barely able to speak.
After the long flight, they walked groggily through the airport.
Common combinations
- wake up groggily
- I woke up groggily and knocked over my glass of water.
- stumble groggily
- He stumbled groggily to the bathroom in the dark.
- say something groggily
- 'Just five more minutes,' she said groggily.
- groggily aware
- He was only groggily aware of the noise around him.
Synonyms and how they differ
- drowsily
- Suggests sleepiness rather than the unsteady, weakened feeling that groggily often includes.
- unsteadily
- Focuses on poor balance or shaking movement, without necessarily suggesting sleepiness.
- dazedly
- Emphasizes confusion and a lack of clear thinking, often after a shock rather than sleep.
Opposites
Word family
- groggy adjective
- Weak, unsteady, and not fully awake.
- grogginess noun
- The state of feeling weak and only half awake.
Commonly confused: groggily or grog?
groggily vs grog
A noun meaning a strong alcoholic drink mixed with water; it is the origin of groggy but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'groggily' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Groggily is an adverb describing how an action is done, so it fits after the verb 'drove'. The other options either use it as a verb or place it incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “groggily”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.