Example: I am not at all tired after the long walk.
Definition
"Not at all" is an expression used to emphasize the complete absence or negation of something, often to reassure or deny. For example, saying "I am not at all tired" means there is absolutely no tiredness after the long walk.
The phrase "not at all" combines the negation "not" with "at all," which emphasizes totality or completeness. It has been used in English since the 16th century to strongly deny or negate something. Did you know that it originally helped speakers underline they meant 'in no way' or 'to no extent'?
Learn to use this expression actively
"Not at all" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (A1) - set 1", containing 104 commonly used expressions.
Would you like to not only understand these expressions, but also remember them and use them actively? Create a free account and select English as the language you want to learn.
