importantly

importantly — adverb

1. used to mark a statement as the most significant point among a group of related

1.副詞B1
釋義

used to mark a statement as the most significant point among a group of related points the speaker is making

例句

The restaurant is cheap and convenient. More importantly, the food is cooked fresh every day.

"more importantly" introducing the main point

The scholarship covered tuition fees for Arjun and, more importantly, gave him access to top research facilities.

"more importantly" linking two related benefits

同義詞
  • significantly

    same discourse-marker function; neutral in register

  • notably

    slightly less emphatic; focuses on the fact being worthy of attention

  • crucially

    stresses that the point is essential or decisive

  • above all

    more informal; used in everyday conversation

文法句型

more importantly, [sentence]

most importantly, [sentence]

[clause]; importantly, [clause]

用法筆記

In this sense, importantly does not modify a single verb — it modifies the whole statement that follows (or precedes) it, signalling that the speaker considers it the most noteworthy point. The collocations more importantly and most importantly are far more frequent than the bare form in speech.

常見錯誤

❌Importantly, he spoke at the meeting.' (ambiguous — sounds like the manner adverb sense).
✅More importantly, he spoke at the meeting.
💡Adding 'more' or 'most' removes the ambiguity and clearly signals the discourse-marker sense.

2. in a manner that carries great weight, meaning, or seriousness — used to describ

2.副詞B2
釋義

in a manner that carries great weight, meaning, or seriousness — used to describe how an action is performed

例句

The ambassador spoke importantly about the need for peace in the region.

"importantly" modifying "spoke" as a manner adverb

A large sign above the door importantly warned visitors of the dangerous chemicals inside.

adverb modifying reporting verb "warned"

同義詞
  • significantly

    more common in both spoken and written English

  • meaningfully

    suggests deeper purpose or consequence

  • notably

    weaker in force; simply means 'in a way that is worthy of notice'

反義詞

文法句型

verb + importantly

be + importantly + past participle

用法筆記

This sense functions as a regular manner adverb modifying the verb directly. It is considerably less common in everyday speech than the sentence-adverb sense (sense 1). Learners should prefer the sense 1 discourse-marker use in most conversations; this manner sense fits formal or written registers better.

常見錯誤

❌She importantly noted that the meeting starts at three.' (ambiguous — could be sentence adverb).
✅She noted importantly that the meeting starts at three.
💡Placing importantly after the verb makes the manner-adverb reading clear.