Adverb + Adjective Collocations

Bitterly cold

Meaning: extremely cold

Our parents didn’t let us play outside because it was bitterly cold.

Carefully chosen

Meaning: selected with great care

John’s carefully chosen words moved all the guests at the wedding.

Comfortably familiar

Meaning: familiar in a pleasant and reassuring way

Simon felt relaxed as soon as he returned to comfortably familiar surroundings.

Completely disappointed

Meaning: very unhappy because something did not happen as expected

Sandra was completely disappointed when she wasn’t accepted into college.

Deeply embarrassed

Meaning: feeling very embarrassed or ashamed

Jill felt deeply embarrassed when she was wrongly accused of cheating.

Easily recognisable

Meaning: easy to identify or recognise

Lisa was easily recognisable in the crowd because of her red hair.

Eternally grateful

Meaning: extremely thankful, often for a long time

We will be eternally grateful for your kindness and support.

Extremely dangerous

Meaning: very dangerous

Some of the animals in the wildlife park are extremely dangerous.

Fully furnished

Meaning: equipped with all necessary furniture

The flat is fully furnished and ready to move into.

Heavily polluted

Meaning: badly polluted

The river became heavily polluted due to industrial waste.

Highly intelligent

Meaning: very intelligent

Dolphins are highly intelligent animals.

Keenly aware

Meaning: very conscious of something

She was keenly aware of how her words might affect the team.

Perfectly dressed

Meaning: dressed very neatly and stylishly

She arrived at the ceremony perfectly dressed for the occasion.

Occasionally found

Meaning: found from time to time, but not often

These rare birds are occasionally found in this region.

Rarely seen

Meaning: not often seen

The actor is rarely seen in public these days.

Regularly used

Meaning: used frequently

This hall is regularly used for concerts and public events.

Seriously wounded

Meaning: badly injured

Several soldiers were seriously wounded during the attack.

Strictly forbidden

Meaning: completely not allowed

Parking is strictly forbidden in front of the school gates.

Terribly slow

Meaning: extremely slow

At first, my progress in learning Japanese was terribly slow.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Meaning: extremely pleasant and enjoyable

We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the theatre.

Totally unacceptable

Meaning: completely not acceptable

The behaviour was totally unacceptable in a professional environment.

Truly unique

Meaning: unlike anything else

The atmosphere of the village is truly unique.

Unbelievably beautiful

Meaning: so beautiful it seems unreal

The landscape looked unbelievably beautiful at sunrise.

Vitally important

Meaning: extremely important

It is vitally important to follow the safety instructions.

Widely known

Meaning: known by many people

She is widely known for her charity work.

Final tip for learners

Try learning these collocations as fixed phrases, not as individual words. They will instantly improve the quality of your speaking and writing and help you avoid overusing very — which examiners quietly dislike 😉