vastly C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈvæstli/ UK /ˈvɑːstli/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adv to a very great extent or degree The new edition is vastly superior to the original. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · to a very great extent or... greatlyenormouslyimmenselyhugelytremendouslyconsiderably ↔ Opposites slightlymarginallyminimally Word family Related forms vastvastness Etymology AI details From 'vast' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Vast' derives from Latin 'vastus' ('empty, immense, desolate'). vastus Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # vastly **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /ˈvæstli/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈvɑːstli/ ## Meanings 1. to a very great extent or degree ## Examples - The new edition is vastly superior to the original. ## Synonyms - greatly - enormously - immensely - hugely - tremendously - considerably ## Antonyms - slightly - marginally - minimally ## Related Forms - vast - vastness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: vastus ## Etymology From 'vast' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Vast' derives from Latin 'vastus' ('empty, immense, desolate'). ## AI Etymology Vastly comes from 'vast' + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Vast' derives from Latin 'vastus' ('empty, immense, desolate'). In current use it is an adverb meaning "to a very great extent or degree". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. A central historical form is Latin vastus. Related English forms include vast and vastness. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown