totally

Everyday

1. Totally means completely, in every way. tree →
2. In casual speech, «totally» is used to agree strongly or to make something stronger, like «really». tree →

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 →
• The two pictures look totally different. tree →
• The ice cream was totally melted. tree →
• «Was the film good?» «Totally!» tree →
• She was totally sure she was right. tree →
• My answer was not totally wrong; I made one mistake. tree →
• The sky went totally dark during the storm. tree →
• This time the king thought he had invented something totally impossible, and was quite pleased with himself for his cleverness. tree →

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».