What it means
まるっきり is an emphatic adverb meaning “totally” or “completely.” It often describes a total absence or a complete failure when used with a negative predicate, and it can also emphasize a sharp difference or lack of resemblance. The expression is stronger and more conversational than a neutral statement with 全く, although it can appear in writing when an emphatic tone is intended.
Usage note
まるっきり most commonly occurs with negative predicates or expressions such as 違う and 別の. It should not be treated as a general-purpose replacement for every occurrence of “completely”; in formal writing, 全く or 完全に may be more appropriate.
How to use it
その説明はまるっきり理解できませんでした。
I could not understand that explanation at all.
その説明はまるっきり理解できなかった。
I could not understand that explanation at all.
Example sentences
新しい規則は、以前のものとはまるっきり違う。
The new rules are completely different from the previous ones.
その論文の結論は、実験データの解釈とまるっきり合っていない。
The conclusion of that paper does not match the interpretation of the experimental data at all.
彼の説明を聞いても、計画の全体像はまるっきり見