drastically

adverb

dras·​ti·​cal·​ly ˈdra-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce drastically (audio)
: in a drastic manner : severely or seriously
The industry has changed drastically over the last 30 years.
This … car will allow you to drastically reduce the amount of time (and money) spent pumping gas …—Jim Motavelli
Some of those plants … are native species present before humans drastically altered the land.—Peter Del Tredici

Examples of drastically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Conversely, the amount of nickel and manganese needed for batteries could increase drastically over time, keeping the share that recycling can supply pretty flat. — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 New York aims to legally reclassify these operations as gambling, which would drastically increase Kalshi's tax obligations and significantly impact its profitability. — Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Pokemon as a game series has evolved over time, with mainline games improving or just changing drastically and countless spinoff titles sporting the Pokemon name. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Many take a kind of hormone therapy called aromatase inhibitors, which drastically decreases estrogen and can cause joint and muscle pain. — Holly Burns, Time, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for drastically

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drastically was in 1850

Rhymes for drastically

See All Rhymes for drastically

Browse Nearby Words

drastic
drastically
drat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drastically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drastically. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All