The word “really” means ‘in reality, the way things actually are’. The word “really” is also used as an intensifier, like ‘it is a really beautiful day’. The word “really” is also used to emphasize an assertion, like ‘you really should read this article’.
 
What I find funny about the word is when my friends, in particular wtdaTerry, use it when a negative situation arises and they say “Really?” Like you have got to be kidding me. So since being around these friends, I have now found myself saying it and laughing and this all in the past year. Shyeah, tell me about it.
 
So for example, let’s say you are driving and all of a sudden your windshield wiper falls off. You quickly exclaim “Really?, I mean Really?”. Or perhaps you are driving on the highway and all of a sudden your tire goes ‘thump thump thump thump’. “Really?”
 
I guess you are questioning what is actually happening in actual reality. Is this really real? I mean really? Your voice needs to get slightly higher as you say it too… gotta have the inflection, gotta have it. Try it. Huh… not bad, not bad, keep working on it.
 
I say ‘really?’ now over small things like breaking a glass, dropping some food, getting a flat tire, people being stupid… stuff that doesn’t really matter… maybe that’s why I can laugh when saying it. Sometimes when little things keep going wrong you just have to laugh… and say “really?”
