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November 25

Adverb More Common Than Adjective Form

Are there any English words where the adverb form is more common than the adjective form? (e.g anatomical, anatomically). 115.188.72.131 (talk) 06:04, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

"Only" doesn't have a corresponding adjective form (ultimately it's derived from "one"). It's possible that "really" is more common than "real". The adverb and adjective "just" are written the same, but in some varieties of English they're pronounced with quite distinct vowels, and the adverb is almost certainly more common than the adjective. AnonMoos (talk) 08:22, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Begrudgingly is more common than begrudging, see this Ngram Viewer graph. GalacticShoe (talk) 09:17, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

To my surprise, carefully is more common than careful. [1] GalacticShoe (talk) 09:20, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Hastily is more common than hasty. [2] GalacticShoe (talk) 13:05, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Rapidly and rapid are an interesting case in which the lead has swapped recently [3] (with the two still relatively close and rapid slightly ahead.) Similarly, relatively became more common than relative in 2014 [4], but it remains only slightly so. GalacticShoe (talk) 23:02, 25 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Literally? Oh, here's a good one: now. Card Zero (talk) 07:15, 27 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Especially is definitely one. And definitely probably is too. And probably. 71.126.57.88 (talk) 20:07, 1 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Especially has essentially always been more popular than especial [5], and same goes for probably over probable [6], but interestingly enough definitely - which was only half as popular as definite in the 1980s and before - started trending up in the 90s, overtook in the early 00s, and has been skyrocketing ever since. [7] GalacticShoe (talk) 06:27, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Although it's mostly due to autocorrect, I'd suspect defiantly is in a similar position. 惑乱 Wakuran (talk) 13:09, 2 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]