frightfully

Everyday

1. (old-fashioned, mainly UK) Very; extremely, as in «frightfully kind» or «frightfully sorry». tree →
2. In a frightening or terrible way. tree →

In the lessons

Sense 1 is a posh, old-fashioned British way of talking, common in older children's books: «frightfully good», «frightfully sorry». Toad in The Wind in the Willows talks like this. Sense 2 is rarer: «frightfully injured».

Examples

• «Frightfully sorry, old chap!» said Toad. tree →
• It was frightfully kind of you to come. tree →
• The water was frightfully cold. tree →
• The town was frightfully damaged in the storm. tree →
• «That's frightfully clever,» said the duchess. tree →
• I'm frightfully tired after the long walk. tree →
• Mr. Darling was frightfully ashamed of himself, but he would not give in. tree →

Note

Adverb from «frightful» (terrible, shocking). In sense 1 it just means «very» and is not about fear; it sounds upper-class and old-fashioned. Similar: awfully, terribly, dreadfully — all can mean simply «very».