Iszonyatosan

Iszonyatosan is a Hungarian adverb meaning terribly, horrendously, or extremely. It functions as a strong intensifier for adjectives and verbs, signaling a very high degree of a quality or action. It is common in everyday speech and media, though it is less typical in highly formal writing. Examples include “Az idő iszonyatosan hideg volt” (The weather was terribly cold) and “A film iszonyatosan unalmas volt” (The film was horrendously boring).

Etymology and form: Iszonyatosan is derived from the adjective iszonyatos, meaning horrendous or terrible. The adverb is formed by adding the suffix -an to the stem, yielding iszonyatosan. In Hungarian, stress generally falls on the first syllable, so iszonyatosan is pronounced with primary emphasis on the first part of the word.

Usage notes: Iszonyatosan signals a high level of intensity and is therefore more informal or expressive. It is appropriate in journalism, storytelling, and colloquial speech but can sound exaggerated in formal or technical texts. In some contexts, milder intensifiers like rendkívül or nagyon may be preferable, while synonyms such as borzalmasan or rettenetesen offer close meanings with varying nuance.

See also: Related forms include iszonyatos (adjective), and common synonyms or near-synonyms used for emphasis include borzalmasan, rettenetesen, rendkívül. The term is a vivid but flexible intensifier within contemporary Hungarian.