especially

adverb

es·​pe·​cial·​ly i-ˈspe-shə-lē How to pronounce especially (audio)
-ˈspesh-lē
Synonyms of especially
1
: specially sense 1
2
a
: in particular : particularly
food seems cheaper, especially meats
b
: for a particular purpose
built especially for research
3
—used as an intensive
an especially good essay
nothing especially radical in the remarks

Synonyms of especially

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Examples of especially in a Sentence

With the help of his staff, [Tim] Russert was especially good at arming himself for an interview by compiling a politician's previous statements in all their contradictions. Google was his tool and Gotcha his game. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 June 2008
In 1972, we began nonstop coverage of the Nixon-McGovern presidential campaign. Hunter [S. Thompson] took over my life then—and for many years after that when he was reporting (long nocturnal telephone calls and frequent all-night strategy sessions) and especially when he was writing. He was demanding in his need for time, attention, care, handling and editing. —Jann S. Wenner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2005
Moreover, Gone with the Wind is peopled with characters whose inconsistencies make them interesting, none more so than Scarlett O'Hara, an unattractive, inexplicably seductive antiheroine whom Trollope himself might well have been pleased to dream up on an especially good day. —Terry Teachout, National Review, 20 Aug. 2001
… I am a tax dweeb. I like thinking about taxes and writing about taxes, and I really like doing my taxes. Especially since do-it-yourself tax software in a box got so great. —Linda Stern, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2000
He was especially concerned about the contract. There is nothing especially radical about that idea. Winning this tournament was especially satisfying. I made this pie especially for you.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Research suggests that having an especially hard time with uncertainty is associated with many anxiety and related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 And talk to employment counsel early, especially with a legal threat on the table. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 Born in Denver in 1892, Walker had a feline taste for the dark, especially if the silk of it was shot through with light. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 But especially as Other Desert Cities progresses, there’s something queasy about how maimed her life has been, not by her parents but by her playwright. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for especially

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of especially was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing especially

Rhymes for especially

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Browse Nearby Words

especial
especially
especialness
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Cite this Entry

“Especially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/especially. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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