# mentally

/ˈmɛnəɫi/ (US) · /mˈɛntəli/ (UK) · CEFR B1 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mentally
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Definition

connected to your mind and how you think. You use this to describe things that happen inside your head rather than in your body.

For teachers: relating to the mind or intellectual capacity. Often used to distinguish cognitive processes from physical or emotional ones.

## Examples

- He is mentally exhausted after the long exam.
- The athlete prepares for the race by mentally visualizing every turn of the track before the starting whistle blows.
- While the physical injuries healed within weeks, the trauma left him mentally drained, requiring months of quiet reflection to regain his former confidence.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is mental tired" but "He is mentally tired" — Learners often use the adjective 'mental' instead of the adverb 'mentally' to modify another adjective.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the adjective it modifies or after the verb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.