Absolutely / Completely / Totally
The Holy Trinity of Emphasis
These three words are like the nuclear weapons of English emphasis - they pack a proper punch and make everything sound more dramatic. But like nuclear weapons, you need to know when and how to use them, or you'll sound like a right muppet!
The Golden Rule:
These words work with non-gradable adjectives (absolute states) and some verbs.
Think: perfect, impossible, dead, exhausted, agree, disagree, love, hate
Absolutely: The Posh One
"Absolutely" - The Sophisticated Choice:
| Usage |
Example |
What It Really Means |
| With non-gradable adjectives |
Absolutely perfect! |
Bloody brilliant! |
| Agreement (standalone) |
"Do you agree– "Absolutely!" |
100% yes, mate! |
| With certain verbs |
I absolutely love it! |
I'm mental about it! |
| Negative emphasis |
Absolutely not! |
No bloody way! |
Completely: The Thorough One
"Completely" - The Thorough Professional:
| Usage |
Example |
What It Really Means |
| Total completion |
Completely finished |
Done and dusted |
| Total transformation |
Completely different |
Like chalk and cheese |
| Total states |
Completely exhausted |
Absolutely knackered |
| Understanding |
I completely understand |
I get it 100% |
Totally: The Casual One
"Totally" - The Laid-Back Mate:
| Usage |
Example |
What It Really Means |
| Casual agreement |
"That's cool!" "Totally!" |
Yeah, definitely! |
| Informal emphasis |
Totally awesome! |
Proper brilliant! |
| Complete states |
Totally confused |
Haven't got a clue |
| Disagreement |
Totally disagree |
That's bollocks! |
When to Use Which One
| Situation |
Absolutely |
Completely |
Totally |
| Formal writing |
Perfect |
Good |
Too casual |
| Casual conversation |
Posh |
Neutral |
Relaxed |
| Strong agreement |
"Absolutely!" |
Sounds odd |
"Totally!" |
| Business meeting |
Professional |
Safe choice |
Too informal |
Common Collocations
Popular Combinations:
With "Absolutely":
- Absolutely brilliant/fantastic/amazing
- Absolutely right/wrong/correct
- Absolutely love/hate/adore
- Absolutely essential/necessary/vital
With "Completely":
- Completely different/opposite/new
- Completely understand/agree/disagree
- Completely finished/done/ready
- Completely exhausted/shattered/knackered
With "Totally":
- Totally awesome/cool/amazing
- Totally agree/disagree
- Totally confused/lost/clueless
- Totally worth it/pointless
Don't Be a Numpty - Common Mistakes
Wrong Usage (With Gradable Adjectives):
- "Absolutely big" (big is gradable - use "very big")
- "Completely tall" (tall is gradable - use "very tall")
- "Totally expensive" (expensive is gradable - use "very expensive")
Right Usage (With Non-Gradable Adjectives):
- "Absolutely enormous" (enormous = very big)
- "Completely devastated" (devastated = very sad)
- "Totally exhausted" (exhausted = very tired)
Regional and Age Differences
Who Says What:
- "Absolutely": All ages, formal and informal, very British
- "Completely": All ages, neutral, universal
- "Totally": Younger people, casual, American influence
- Tip: If in doubt, use "completely" - it's the safest bet!
Slang Alternatives
British Slang Versions:
- "Dead": "Dead right!" (completely right)
- "Proper": "Proper brilliant!" (absolutely brilliant)
- "Well": "Well good!" (totally good)
- "Mental": "Mental tired!" (completely exhausted)
- "Bare": "Bare good!" (totally good - London slang)
Practice Exercises (Get Absolutely Mental!)
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Absolutely brilliant! Now you're completely ready to use these words totally correctly!
