dreadfully

Inherited from Middle English dredfully, dradefullich, dredefullich; equivalent to dreadful +‎ -ly.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɹɛd.fʊl.i/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

dreadfully (comparative more dreadfully, superlative most dreadfully)

1. In a dreadful manner.
2. (dated) Exceptionally, eminently, very much.

   That restaurant seems dreadfully expensive.

   • 1888, Oscar Wilde, “The Happy Prince”, in The Happy Prince and Other Tales:

     At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue, as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two. It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.

   • 1918 August, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Bliss”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, pages 135–136:

     “Here it is,” said Eddie. “‘Why Must it Always be Tomato Soup?’ It's so deeply true, don't you feel? Tomato soup is so dreadfully eternal.”