terriblyadv.
/ˈtɛrᵻbli/, U.S. /ˈtɛrəbli/ 1.
a. Very severely or painfully; hence: (with reference to an undesirable quality) exceedingly, extremely, excessively, very greatly; (generally) very, ‘awfully’.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly > specifically of something bad
sorea1300
grievously1340
terrible1490
beastly?1518
shrewdlyc1533
arrantly?1548
murrainly?1548
abominablea1550
pestilence1567
pestilently1567
cursedly1570
pestiferously1570
murrain1575
plaguey1584
plaguilya1586
grievous1598
scandalously1602
horridly1603
terribly1604
monstrously1611
hellish1614
dreadfullya1616
horrid1615
pestilenta1616
infernally1638
preposterously1661
woeful1684
confoundedly1694
confounded1709
glaringly1709
cursed1719
flagrantly1756
weary1790
disgustingly1804
filthy1827
blamed1833
peskily1833
pesky1833
blame1843
blasted1854
wickedly1858
blatantly1878
shamelessly1885
disgracefully1893
ruddy1913
bastarda1935
pissing1951
sodding1954
pissingly1971
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly
swithlyc888
micklelyeOE
swith971
hardOE
un-i-fohOE
sevenfoldlOE
unmeet?c1225
innerlyc1330
horribly1340
too1340
sore1474
horriblec1475
vehemently1483
outrageous1487
done?a1513
exquisite1529
strangely1532
exceeding1535
exceedingly1535
angardlyc1540
angerlyc1540
choicec1540
vengeable1542
vengeably?1550
extremelya1554
monstrous1569
thrice1579
amain1587
extremea1591
damnably1598
fellc1600
tyrannically1602
exquisitely1603
damnedly1607
preciously1607
damnablea1616
impensively1620
excellingly1621
main1632
fearful1634
vengeancelya1640
upsy1650
impensely1657
twadding1657
vastly1664
hideous1667
mainly1670
consumed1707
consumedly1707
outrageously1749
damned1757
nation1771
shockingly1777
deuced1779
darn1789
darned1807
felly1807
varsal1814
awful1816
awfy1816
frightfully1816
deucedly1819
dogged1819
awfully1820
gallowsa1823
shocking1831
tremendously1832
everlasting1833
terribly1833
fearfully1835
ripping1838
poison1840
thundering1853
frighteninglyc1854
raring1854
hell's own1863
goldarned1866
goddamned1870
doggone1871
acutely1872
whooping1874
stupidly1878
everlastingly1879
hideously1882
densely1883
storming1883
good and1885
thunderingly1885
crazy1887
tremendous1887
madly1888
goldarn1892
howling1895
murderously1916
rasted1919
goddam1921
bitchingly1923
Christly1923
bitching1929
falling-down1930
lousy1932
appallingly1937
stratospherically1941
Christ almighty1945
effing1945
focking1956
dagnab1961
drop-dead1980
hella1987
totes2006
?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 114v Trouthe it is that I am Amorous terrybly of dame Alcumena.
1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Hist. Jason (1913) 67 Hit is not to be vnremembrid that thenuie of..Peleus grewe so terribly that he..coude haue no reste.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour iii. sig. N.iiv Quho that eitis flesche in to Lent Ar terriblye put to torment.
1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies iii. xx. 184 It raines and snowes terribly.
1668 A. Marvell Let. 28 Nov. in Poems & Lett. (1971) II. 82 He is here a kind of decrepit young gentleman & terribly crest-faln.
1707 tr. P. Le Lorrain de Vallemont Curiosities in Husbandry & Gardening 274 Tulips are charming to the Sight, but terribly offensive to the Smell.
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth VI. 101 Relying on its courage, and the strength of its bill, with which it [sc. the puffin] bites most terribly.
1833 C. Dickens Let. ?Oct. (1965) I. 31 I am terribly out of spirits this morning.
1842 C. Fox Jrnl. 28 May (1972) 124 Carlyle..was terribly amused.
1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues I. 49 Why then are they so terribly anxious to prevent you from being happy?
1922 E. von Arnim Enchanted April (1989) 43 She felt she would be terribly shy of Lady Caroline.
1961 N. Juster Phantom Tollbooth i. 15 I do hope this is an interesting game, otherwise the afternoon will be so terribly dull.
2000 G. Duncan Love Remains ii. 116 I made money into more money. That's what I did. I was terribly good at it.
b. In an exceedingly incompetent manner, very poorly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > [adverb]
poorlyc1230
badlyc1400
meanly1550
inferiorly1605
indifferently1676
queerly1699
awfully1815
shickery1851
shoddily1899
terribly1906
the world > action or operation > ability > inability > unskilfulness > [adverb] > without proficiency
rawly1581
insatisfactorily1646
incompetently1653
wretchedly1677
terribly1906
1906 Eclectic Mag. July 11/2 The second star..wears ball dresses fashioned by her own hand which make one feel like to cry, and sings terribly.
1930 Publishers' Weekly 29 Mar. 1741 (advt.) About 1,000,000 [bridge players] now play Contract, almost all of them terribly.
1964 J. Mitchell White Father iii. 54 You can sing terribly and get away with it if only you have the right backing.
2006 New Scientist 7 Oct. 34/3 Confabulators all performed terribly this second time around.
2. In a terrible manner; so as to cause terror or dread; horrifyingly; awesomely.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > quality of inspiring fear > quality of terribleness > [adverb]
dreadlyc1175
eislichec1175
grimlyc1175
ungainlya1200
awly?c1225
grurefulliche?c1225
fiendlyc1275
dreadfullya1400
felly?c1400
awfully1487
terrible1490
terriblya1500
fearingly1556
direly1610
dismally1653
dreadful1682
formidably1685
terrifyingly1767
direfully1775
terrifically1778
terrificly1791
appallingly1825
turble1893
a1500 (a1450) tr. Secreta Secret. (Ashm. 396) (1977) 100 (MED) Who terribly putteth his sight, he is vexed with ill thoughtis.
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. RRRiiii Impenitent synners..drawen downe to hell, moste terribly or fearfully.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 90 A..comet, quhilk..schot fyrie stremes terrabillie.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 318 We heard a hollow burst of bellowing Like Buls, or rather Lyons,..It strooke mine eare most terribly . View more context for this quotation
1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies xxi. 169 Hee terribly affrights the Passenger if hee meete any.
1718 M. Prior Solomon on Vanity i, in Poems Several Occasions (new ed.) 420 This ample azure sky, Terribly large, and wonderfully bright.
1759 W. Borlase in Philos. Trans. 1758 (Royal Soc.) 50 504 The whim-house shook so terribly, that a man there at work ran out of it, concluding it to be falling.
1852 J. Taaffe Hist. Order St. John II. ii. i. 109 His lofty forehead was also of as dazzling a white; and his large blue eyes beneath his flaxen eyebrows shone terribly.
1883 A. I. Menken Infelicia 38 Heed not the storm-fires that so terribly burn in the black sky.
1904 Pall Mall Mag. Oct. 232/1 Guns spoke terribly, but there was no one to be seen.
1953 K. M. Briggs Personnel of Fairyland 15 The Banshee, a spirit attached to certain families, which will wail terribly before the death of any of its family.
1969 W. Wallich tr. H. A. Vossler With Napoleon in Russia i. viii. 67 Sword and shot had raged terribly everywhere. Men and horses had been gashed and maimed in every conceivable way.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.?1473