What does bigly mean?
"Bigly" is an adverb meaning "in a big way" or "to a great extent," formed straightforwardly from the adjective "big" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly." Though its construction is transparent and logical, the word never became firmly established in standard English and remained a rarity for most of its history, giving it a faintly archaic or dialectal flavor. It returned to public prominence during the 2016 United States presidential election, when it was widely reported that Donald Trump's spoken phrase "big league" was heard by many listeners — and transcribed by some captioners — as "bigly." Since then, the word has enjoyed a curious afterlife as an internet joke and a marker of that political moment, often used deliberately for humorous effect: "that impacted me bigly." Writers today should treat "bigly" as informal and self-aware rather than neutral vocabulary; in serious prose, "greatly," "hugely," or "substantially" are the natural choices. Its story makes it a memorable example of how media, mishearing, and repetition can briefly resurrect a word that standard usage had all but abandoned.
adverbIn a big way; to a great extent. The word is largely archaic but gained renewed attention in American political discourse in the 2010s.
- To a great extent; in a large or forceful manner (archaic, now chiefly used humorously or in political contexts)
"The storm hit the coastal town bigly, flattening homes along the shore."
"The reforms affected small businesses bigly."
"He insisted the tax cut would help workers bigly."
A forgotten English adverb for centuries, 'bigly' was thrust back into headlines in 2016 — possibly born from a mishearing of 'big league'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bigly
"Bigly" is formed within English from the adjective "big" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly." The ultimate origin of "big" itself is uncertain; it appears in Middle English from around the thirteenth century, possibly borrowed from Old Norse, though scholars have not settled the question. As a standalone adverb, "bigly" has always been rare, and its modern currency stems less from historical continuity than from its 2016 revival through the widely discussed confusion with "big league."
Related word forms
How bigly is actually used
Historically rare and now considered archaic; modern usage is almost always ironic, humorous, or a deliberate echo of 2016-era political speech. Avoid it in formal writing unless the playful register is intended.
Easily confused with bigly
"Bigly" is an adverb meaning greatly, while "big league" refers to the highest level of competition or importance — the two were famously confused in 2016 when "big league" was reportedly misheard as "bigly".