In a very noticeable, exciting, or extreme way. It can also mean in a way that is related to drama or acting.
From 'dramatic' + '-ally', formed in English. 'Dramatic' goes back to Greek 'drama' meaning 'action, play'. The adverb carries over both the theatrical and the 'striking change' senses.
When news articles say 'prices rose dramatically', they’re borrowing theater language to make economics feel vivid. The word doesn’t tell you the numbers; it tells you how to feel about them. It’s a good reminder to look for the actual data behind dramatic claims.
As with ‘dramatic,’ ‘dramatically’ in personal descriptions has sometimes been used to belittle women’s reactions as overblown. Its neutral adverbial use for large changes (e.g., ‘increased dramatically’) is not gendered.
Use ‘dramatically’ for scale or intensity of changes or events, not as a gendered critique of how someone reacts.
["significantly","substantially","sharply","intensely"]
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