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adverb

soundly

SOWND-lih

Soundly (adverb) means thoroughly and without flaws; completely. Example: “She slept soundly through the storm.”

adverb
1
Thoroughly and without flaws; completely.
"She slept soundly through the storm."
"The champion was soundly beaten in the final round."

How to Use Soundly

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThoroughly, solidly, with no weak points — used for sleeping, beating an opponent, or reasoning well.

Common pairings
sleep soundly soundly defeated soundly built

Word Forms

more soundly comparative, most soundly superlative

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She slept _____ through the storm.

Etymology

From Old English gesundlice ("safely, in good health"), from the same root as sound (healthy, intact). The word originally meant "safely" and shifted to its modern "thoroughly" sense around the 1500s.

Origin: Old English · First attested 1500

Class of 1500 soundly joined the language around 1500.
See the full Class of 1500 →

Rhymes for soundly

See all rhymes for soundly →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “soundly” mean?

The word “soundly” means thoroughly and without flaws; completely. In plain terms, thoroughly, solidly, with no weak points — used for sleeping, beating an opponent, or reasoning well.

How do you pronounce “soundly”?

“Soundly” is pronounced SOWND-lih (/ˈsaʊnd.lɪ/ in IPA).

How do you use “soundly” in a sentence?

Here is “soundly” used in a sentence: “She slept soundly through the storm.”

What part of speech is “soundly”?

“Soundly” is an adverb.

Where does the word “soundly” come from?

The word “soundly” dates back to around 1500 and comes from Old English. From Old English gesundlice ("safely, in good health"), from the same root as sound (healthy, intact). The word originally meant "safely" and shifted to its modern "thoroughly" sense around the 1500s.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial