Meaning of especially in English

especially

adverb

/ɪˈspeʃ.əl.i/ uk

/ɪˈspeʃ.əl.i/

(also specially)

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very much; more than usual or more than other people or things:

especially true Many people are choosing to eat less meat, and this is especially true of young people.

especially important Sleep is especially important for children.

especially useful The app is especially useful for anyone who works from home.

She's not especially interested in sports.

especially considering The race was extremely well organized, especially considering it's only in its second year.

I love good chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

for a particular reason:

especially for I chose this especially for your new house.

They invited her to speak especially because of her experience in inner cities.

More examplesFewer examples

Parents of young children often become depressed, and this is especially true of single parents.
This particular stretch of coast is especially popular with walkers.
This variety of rose is especially hardy and drought-resistant.
It's a pity you couldn't come - I especially wanted you to meet my friend Jo.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Particular and individual

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Linguistics: very & extreme

Grammar

Especially or specially?

Especially and specially are adverbs. …

(Definition of especially from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

especially | Intermediate English

especially

adverb

/ɪˈspeʃ·ə·li/

Add to word list Add to word list

(used to emphasize the importance of one thing among others of its type or to point to one thing among others) very; particularly:

He was especially fond of his youngest brother.

She campaigned throughout the US, but especially in the northeast.

(Definition of especially from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of especially

especially

But in an era when "tall" means supertall (or megatall), things start to get more interesting, especially from a logistics point of view.

From Gizmodo

That's because prefab buildings aren't especially great at handling lateral forces (or those that move from side-to-side), like the wind.

From Gizmodo

The increase is especially marked among white women, experts say.

From ABC News

As your priorities change at every stage of life, you need to change with them, especially when it comes to insurance.

From NOLA.com

And you would think, especially a minister, would have wanted to examine that.

From NPR

And they're especially unlikely in cases where people feel shame.

From Voice of America

He was especially touched by one student, a 7th grader, who he was sad to consider his worst student for most of their year together.

From Huffington Post

But when does desire not bring out "beasty" feelings, especially when it's the performer's job to seduce?

From The New York Review of Books

Stunning, especially the sunlight reflected off the mighty river.

From Slate Magazine

Infrastructure, especially in the country's rural areas, is underdeveloped.

From International Business Times

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of especially?