genuinely
/ˈdʒɛnjuɪnli/
Very CommonEmphasis word used to stress that a reaction or feeling is completely real, not exaggerated.
Unlike 'literally', which inflates almost everything, 'genuinely' carries more credibility as an intensifier because it's used slightly more selectively.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | I genuinely cannot get over that ending. | Real, lingering reaction to something impactful. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | This song genuinely changed how I think about breakups. | Sincere statement about real emotional impact. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 03 | I'm genuinely so happy for you. | Real happiness, not performative congratulations. | instagram, 2024 |
| 04 | Genuinely thought this was going to be bad and it was incredible. | Real surprise at something exceeding low expectations. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- You want to stress that your reaction is real and not hyperbole.
- You are expressing a strong feeling and want to make sure it lands.
- You are distinguishing a sincere statement from something that might sound performative.
Do not use it when
- You use it as filler before every statement.
- The sincerity is already obvious from the sentence.
Genuinely vs unironically
genuinely
Stresses that the emotion or reaction is real.
VS
unironically
Clarifies that a statement is not a joke, especially when it sounds like one.
Origin and context
Standard English word that became a popular internet emphasis marker in the 2010s and 2020s as people used it to signal authenticity in irony-saturated online communication.
- First seen
- pre-2010
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/genuinelyUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0