WordGarden.iogrossly
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡrˈəʊsli/
US
- /ˈɡroʊsli/
Meanings
Adverb
to an extreme or obvious degree, usually in a bad or excessive way
in a disgusting, crude, or vulgar manner
Beyond the definition
"Grossly" usually means "to a very great degree" in a way that feels clearly wrong, excessive, or shocking. You might say someone is "grossly underpaid," meaning they are paid far too little, or that a report is "grossly inaccurate," meaning it is seriously wrong. It often appears when talking about unfairness, bad judgment, or an amount that is far from what it should be.
It can also mean "in a rude, offensive, or unpleasant way," though that use is less common. For example, someone might behave "grossly" at a party, meaning their behavior was coarse or offensive. In most everyday use, though, the word carries a clear tone of criticism and suggests that something has gone well beyond the limit.
"Grossly" is an adverb with two main uses. Most often, it means "to an extreme and unacceptable degree." In this sense, it does more than simply mean "very." It suggests that something is seriously wrong, far beyond what is normal, fair, or acceptable. A person can be "grossly underpaid," a number can be "grossly exaggerated," or a decision can be "grossly unfair." In each case, the word adds strong criticism and makes the problem sound obvious.
This is why the word often appears in discussions of mistakes, injustice, or imbalance. A statement may be "grossly misleading." A hospital may be "grossly understaffed." A law may be called "grossly unconstitutional" in strong argumentative language. It is especially common before adjectives and past participles that already describe a problem, because it sharpens the sense that the problem is severe and hard to excuse.
The second use is less common but still important: "grossly" can mean "in a crude, rude, or offensive way." If someone speaks grossly, jokes grossly, or behaves grossly, the focus is on bad taste or offensiveness rather than degree. This sense is closer to the everyday adjective "gross" meaning unpleasant or disgusting.
In practice, "grossly" is rarely used for praise. You would not normally say something was "grossly impressive" or "grossly successful," because the word usually carries blame, disapproval, or disgust. That tone is an important part of its meaning. When you choose "grossly," you are usually saying not just that something is extreme, but that it is extreme in a way that feels clearly wrong.
Examples
- 1
Unfair decision
The decision was grossly unfair.
- 2
Pay
She is grossly underpaid for the amount of work she does.
- 3
Planning
We grossly underestimated how much time the move would take.
- Patterngrossly underestimate
guess far too low
- 4
Article accuracy
Several details in the article were grossly inaccurate.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Medical care
The hospital was accused of grossly negligent care.
- Phrasegrossly negligent
extremely careless in a serious way
- 6
Social behavior
His comments at dinner were grossly inappropriate.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- grossly unfair
- grossly negligent
- grossly exaggerated
- grossly inadequate
Word family
Explore
- degree adverbs
- culpability
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- grosslyadverb