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Meaning & use

truly

adverb, phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈtruːli/
US/ˈtruːli/

Meanings

  1. adverbnot comparable

    Used to stress that a quality or feeling is real and strong, not exaggerated.

    Grammar: Goes before an adjective, adverb or verb: truly amazing, truly believe.

    Patterns

    • truly + adjective
    • truly believe something

    It was a truly beautiful performance.

    I am truly sorry for the mix-up.

    She truly believes the plan will work.

  2. adverbnot comparableformal

    In a way that is honest, accurate or faithful to the facts.

    Grammar: Usually follows the verb in a statement about honesty: speak truly, answer truly.

    Patterns

    • speak truly
    • answer truly

    Tell me truly whether you saw him leave.

    The painting truly captures the look of the harbor.

    He could not truly say what he had expected.

  3. phrasefixed phrasehumorousold-fashioned

    Used in the expression yours truly, which ends a letter, or which a speaker uses humorously to mean himself or herself.

    Grammar: Fixed phrase: Yours truly closes a letter, and as a joke it means the speaker.

    Patterns

    • yours truly

    The letter ended with the words yours truly, followed by a signature.

    Guess who burned the toast? Yours truly.

    The prize went to yours truly.

Common combinations

truly grateful
We are truly grateful for your help.
truly remarkable
The view from the summit was truly remarkable.
truly madly deeply
They fell in love truly, madly and deeply.
truly believe
I truly believe we can win.
well and truly
The old system is well and truly dead.

Synonyms and how they differ

really
Really is the casual everyday choice, while truly sounds more sincere and slightly more formal.
genuinely
Genuinely stresses that something is real and not fake, whereas truly mainly adds emphasis to a feeling or quality.
sincerely
Sincerely describes honest feeling in how someone speaks or acts, and truly can be used for facts and qualities too.

Opposites

falsely

Word family

true adjective
in agreement with the facts
truth noun
what is true
truthful adjective
telling the truth
untruly adverb
a rare opposite meaning not truthfully

Commonly confused: truly or truely?

truly vs truely

Truely is a common misspelling; the e of true is dropped, so the correct form is truly.

Practice

Choose the correct spelling: The team was ___ grateful for the support.

Make it your own

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