sincerely

/sɪnˈsɪəli/ (bre, ipa) · /sɪnˈsɪrli/ (ame, ipa) · /sin-ˈsir-lē sən-/ (ame, mw)

sincerely — adverb

1. describing behaviour or speech that comes from your real feelings and honest tho

1.副詞B1
釋義

describing behaviour or speech that comes from your real feelings and honest thoughts, without pretending or hiding anything — for example, apologising sincerely when you have made a mistake, or sincerely believing something even when others disagree.

例句

Lara sincerely apologized for arriving late to her son's school play and missing his first scene on stage.

sincerely + apologize — expressing genuine regret

Ilan sincerely thanked the night-shift nurses at Taipei General Hospital for looking after his father.

同義詞
  • honestly

    strongly overlaps but works better with factual admissions and face-threatening opinions; slightly less emotionally warm.

  • genuinely

    emphasises that a feeling is real, not pretended; often used with emotions (genuinely sorry, genuinely happy).

  • truthfully

    focuses on factual accuracy rather than emotional authenticity; preferred for answering questions about facts.

  • from the heart

    idiomatic phrase; stronger emotional weight; less common in everyday speech.

反義詞
  • insincerely

    direct antonym — acting or speaking in a pretended, not genuine way.

  • dishonestly

    overlaps with insincerely but emphasises intention to deceive, not just pretend.

文法句型

sincerely + [verb of feeling/expression]

用法筆記

Often pairs with verbs of feeling or speech such as apologize, believe, hope, thank, and regret. Unlike 'honestly' (which can introduce a contrasting opinion — 'Honestly, I don't care'), 'sincerely' always affirms genuine positive or regretful feeling.

常見錯誤

❌I sincerely think you are wrong
✅I honestly think you are wrong
💡'sincerely' sounds unnatural with a direct, face-threatening opinion; use 'honestly' instead.
❌She answered sincerely that she had never seen the report
✅She answered honestly that she had never seen the report
💡'honestly' fits factual admissions better; 'sincerely' is stronger for emotions.

2. a polite word that a writer places before their signature when finishing a forma

2.副詞B1
釋義

a polite word that a writer places before their signature when finishing a formal letter or email to a named person — for example, closing a job application to a named manager with 'Sincerely' or 'Sincerely yours'.

例句

Maya finished her cover letter with 'Sincerely' just above her signature.

letter-closing formula: Sincerely before signature

For her email to Mr. Tanaka, the British manager closed with 'Yours sincerely' since she had addressed him by name.

UK convention: Yours sincerely + named recipient

文法句型

Sincerely / Sincerely yours / Yours sincerely as closing before signature

用法筆記

In American English, 'Sincerely' or 'Sincerely yours' is used for any formal letter. In British English, use 'Yours sincerely' only when the recipient is named in the salutation (Dear Mr. Chen). For 'Dear Sir/Madam', use 'Yours faithfully' instead. Only the first word of the closing is capitalised.

常見錯誤

❌Using 'Sincerely' after 'Dear Sir' in a British-style letter.
✅Use 'Yours faithfully' instead
💡British convention requires 'faithfully' for unnamed recipients, 'sincerely' for named ones.
❌Sincerely yours, John Smith' (no comma after the name)
✅Sincerely yours, John Smith
💡a comma separates the closing from the signature.