English Reference
Adverb

vertically

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈvɝtɪkɫi/ UK /vˈɜːtɪkli/ ver·ti·cal·ly

adv.in a direction that goes straight up and down. You use this to describe something standing or moving at a right angle to the flat ground.

adv.positioned or moving at a right angle to the horizontal plane; in an upright or top-to-bottom direction.


SIMPLE

The rocket moved vertically into the sky.

CONTEXTUAL

To save space in the small warehouse, the staff stacked the wooden crates vertically against the back wall.

COMPLEX

The architect designed the skyscraper with glass panels that run vertically from the lobby to the penthouse, emphasizing the building's immense height.

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or appears at the end of the clause.

Did it spend much of its time among high horizontal branches, climb vertically from the ground, or combine both behaviors?

ScienceDaily· 31 Aug 2026

Then they inserted the two pairs of underpants vertically, side by side, with the synthetic waistband visible on the surface.

Ars Technica· 27 Aug 2026

From vertical + -ly.

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

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated