[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/totally/)

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# totally

adverb

«totally» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Totally means completely, in every way. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#m1)
2. In casual speech, «totally» is used to agree strongly or to make something stronger, like «really». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday talk, children say «totally!» to mean «yes, I agree completely». In writing it means fully: «totally different», «totally wrong». In maths it is not the same as «in total». Phrases: «totally different», «totally agree», «totally forgot», «totally fine».

### Examples

- I totally forgot my lunch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x1)
- The two pictures look totally different. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x2)
- The ice cream was totally melted. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x3)
- «Was the film good?» «Totally!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x4)
- She was totally sure she was right. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x5)
- My answer was not totally wrong; I made one mistake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x6)
- The sky went totally dark during the storm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x7)
- This time the king thought he had invented something totally impossible, and was quite pleased with himself for his cleverness. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/#x8)

### Note

Adverb from «total» + -ly; spelt with two l's. Casual use («totally!») is fine in talk but too informal for school essays. Trap in maths: «totally» does not mean «add up»; for a sum use «in total» or «altogether».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «totally» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/totally/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«totally» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/totally.html) on Mova free.

