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🇮🇹Italian Source WordCode: IT

al mondo

Pronunciation / Transliteration: al ˈmondo

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
In The World/ˌɪn ðə ˈwɜːrld/
idiomatic phraseCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #3200 frequency
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🇮🇹 Example Sentence in Italian:

"Cosa diavolo stavi pensando al mondo?"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adverbial phrase
  1. 1

    Used as an intensifier with interrogative words (who, what, where, when, why, how) to express surprise, confusion, exasperation, or to emphasize a question.

    "What in the world were you thinking when you made that decision?"
  2. 2

    Referring to anything that exists or happens on Earth; globally or universally.

    "It was the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in the world."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The phrase 'in the world' originates from the literal sense of 'on Earth' or 'in all creation'. Its idiomatic use as an intensifier in interrogative sentences developed in English by the 17th century, evolving from a simple geographical or existential statement to a rhetorical device. It serves to express a heightened degree of surprise, confusion, or exasperation, similar to 'on earth' or 'in heaven's name'.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "In The World"?

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Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "In The World"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "In The World" Synonym Map
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