doubly
gb/dˈʌbli/ us/dˈʌbli/
B2
English
~ 8000
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
to twice the usual degree
More than normally; almost like two times as much, often for two reasons at the same time.
Usage pattern:
doubly [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"double happy"* or *"double careful"* instead of *"doubly happy"* or *"doubly careful"*. Use **doubly** before adjectives and adverbs. Another mistake is using *"doubly more"* (e.g. *"doubly more important"*); say either *"doubly important"* or *"much more important"*, not both together.
Synonyms
twice as (Used in fixed patterns like 'twice as [adjective]'; more neutral and literal, with less emotional coloring than 'doubly'.)
|
especially (Adds emphasis but does not suggest the idea of 'two times' or 'two reasons' that 'doubly' can carry.)
Antonyms
slightly (Expresses only a small degree of something, which contrasts with the strong increase implied by 'doubly'.)
Collocations
doubly important
|doubly hard
|doubly difficult
|doubly sure
|doubly careful
|doubly grateful
Themes
evaluation
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- After everything you did, I feel doubly grateful to you.
- The exam will be doubly hard if you do not revise the earlier chapters.
- We have to be doubly careful when driving in heavy rain.
- Losing the file was doubly embarrassing because he had promised to back it up.
Learner examples
- I am doubly happy today because I got a job and passed my test.
- You should be doubly careful when you cross this busy road.
- She felt doubly tired after working late all week.
- The news is doubly important for people who live in this city.
adverb
technical
C2
property
2
having two of some feature
Used in science, math, or technology to say that something has two of one special thing, such as two links, two levels, or two charges.
Usage pattern:
doubly [technical adjective/participle]
Synonyms
twofold (Formal and general; often interchangeable in technical writing, but 'twofold' is used more in prose while 'doubly' is fixed in certain set terms.)
Antonyms
singly (In physics and chemistry, describes particles or ions with only one unit of a feature (for example, one charge), contrasting with 'doubly'.)
Collocations
doubly linked list
|doubly charged ion
|doubly stochastic matrix
|doubly occupied state
|doubly degenerate level
|doubly exponential time
Themes
science
|technology
|mathematics
Examples
- The data are stored in a doubly linked list to allow efficient insertion and deletion.
- The experiment detected a doubly charged ion at high mass-to-charge ratios.
- We modeled the transition probabilities with a doubly stochastic matrix.
Learner examples
- In computer science, we learn about a doubly linked list.
- The chemist talked about a doubly charged ion in the lab.
- The graph in the book shows a doubly exponential growth curve.
Grammar
Dictionary form
doubly
IPA
GB/dˈʌbli/
US/dˈʌbli/
Syllables & stress
doubly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (doubly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: doubly
- Plural: doublies
Word family
Expressions
doubly so
1/dˈʌbli sˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
even more true of that
Used after a statement to say that something is even more true for another person or thing than for the one just mentioned.
Examples
- If the journey was tiring for you, it was doubly so for the children.
- The rules are strict for everyone, and doubly so for new employees.
doubly sure
1/dˈʌbli ʃˈʊɹ/
fixed phrase
very sure, with extra checks
Very sure about something, often because you checked it twice or you have two good reasons.
Examples
- Let me read the email one more time to be doubly sure about the date.
- She checked the lock twice to be doubly sure the door was closed.