English Reference
adverb

deeply

adv.
US /ˈdipɫi/ UK /dˈiːpli/ deeply

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    to a very great degree, especially when talking about feelings or beliefs.

    to a profound extent; used to intensify verbs of feeling, belief, or psychological states.

    Simple

    I am deeply sorry for the mistake I made yesterday.

    In context

    The community was deeply affected by the closure of the local library, which had served as a vital social hub for decades.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    extending far down from the surface or far into the center of something.

    extending a significant distance downward or inward from a surface or edge.

    Simple

    The roots of the old oak tree go deeply into the ground.

    In context

    The explorers ventured deeply into the cave system, eventually discovering a series of underground lakes that had never been mapped.

    shallowly
  3. 03 B1 Intermediate

    taking a lot of air into your lungs.

    referring to the intake of a large volume of air during respiration.

    Simple

    Take a breath deeply and try to relax your shoulders.

    In context

    The doctor asked the patient to breathe deeply while she listened to his lungs with a stethoscope.

    shallowly
  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate

    sleeping so well that it is difficult to wake you up.

    in a state of profound or heavy sleep; difficult to rouse.

    Simple

    The baby was sleeping so deeply that the loud thunder didn't wake him.

    In context

    Exhausted after the marathon, she slept so deeply that she completely missed her alarm the following morning.

Usage deeply concerned · deeply embedded · deeply saddened

Every August, the Petronio Álvarez Pacific Music Festival brings together the music, food, crafts and traditions of Colombia’s Pacific region, which is deeply tied to Cali’s identity.

UN News· 13 Aug 2026

Dogs may understand our emotions more deeply than scientists realized.

ScienceDaily· 11 Aug 2026

From Middle English depely, deplike, deopliche, from Old English dēoplīċe (“deeply”, adverb), from dēoplīc (“deep”), equivalent to deep + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English dēoplīċe
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated