ENGLISH
REFERENCE

deeply

adv.
US //ˈdipɫi// UK //dˈiːpli// deeply
  1. 1 very much (adv.)
    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.

    Example

    I am deeply sorry for the mistake I made yesterday.

    Example

    The community was deeply affected by the closure of the local library, which had served as a vital social hub for decades.
  2. 2 far down or inside (adv.)
    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.

    Example

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

    Example

    The explorers ventured deeply into the cave system, eventually discovering a series of underground lakes that had never been mapped.
    • shallowly
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  1. 3 with a lot of air (adv.)
    B1 Intermediate

    taking a lot of air into your lungs.

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

    Example

    Take a breath deeply and try to relax your shoulders.

    Example

    The doctor asked the patient to breathe deeply while she listened to his lungs with a stethoscope.
    • shallowly
  2. 4 sleeping heavily (adv.)
    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.

    Example

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

    Example

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

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

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