very

very — adverb

1. placed before a describing word — for example, an adjective or an adverb — to sh

1.adverbA1
Definition

placed before a describing word — for example, an adjective or an adverb — to show that a quality is present at a high level; for instance, calling a film very good means you think it is far better than most films.

Example

The weather was very cold last winter in Sapporo.

very + adjective (cold)

Sivan speaks English very well after only two years of study.

Common collocations
  • very good
  • very much
  • very well
  • very happy
  • very cold
  • very fast
Synonyms
  • extremely

    stronger than 'very'; used for a higher degree

  • really

    more informal than 'very'; common in everyday speech

  • quite

    weaker than 'very' in British English; can mean 'fairly'

Antonyms
  • slightly

    indicates a small degree, the opposite of a high degree

Grammar Patterns

very + adjective

very + adverb

Common Mistakes

I am very love chocolate.
I love chocolate very much.
'very' cannot modify a verb directly; use 'very much' after the verb.

2. placed before a superlative word like 'best' or 'most', or before the words 'own

2.adverbA2
Definition

placed before a superlative word like 'best' or 'most', or before the words 'own' and 'same', to give them extra force — for example, saying 'the very best' is stronger than just 'the best'.

Example

This is the very best cake I have ever tasted.

very + superlative (best)

Caleb made the very same mistake on his math test twice.

the very same + noun

Common collocations
  • very best
  • very same
  • very last
  • very own
  • very first
  • very worst
Synonyms
  • absolutely

    used with superlatives in a similar emphatic way, but slightly more formal

  • by far

    emphasizes the superlative by a large margin rather than adding force directly

Grammar Patterns

very + superlative adjective

the very same + noun

one's very own + noun

Usage Note

Only this sense of 'very' can appear before a superlative or before 'own' and 'same'. In other positions, the adverb sense 1 (TO A GREAT DEGREE) is used instead.

Common Mistakes

This is very the best pizza.
This is the very best pizza.
'very' must come after 'the' when used with superlatives.

very — adjective

Word family

  • verily
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Very' is the most neutral and widely used intensifier in English, suitable for both writing and speech. 'Really' is more informal and common in conversation — 'a really good time' sounds warmer than 'a very good time'. 'Extremely' is stronger and slightly more formal, used when you want to emphasize the upper edge of a scale ('extremely dangerous' suggests more danger than 'very dangerous'). 'Quite' is weaker in British English ('quite good' means 'fairly good'), but in American English it can be a strong intensifier ('quite good' = 'very good'). 'Pretty' is informal and moderate in strength, roughly between 'quite' (British) and 'very'. For example: 'The exam was pretty hard' (conversational, moderate), whereas 'The exam was very hard' is neutral and 'The exam was extremely hard' suggests an unusually difficult test.

very ↗really ↗extremely ↗quite ↗pretty ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • not very
  • very much
  • very well
  • very much so

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Very' entered English through Old French 'verai', which meant 'true' or 'genuine'. The Old French word came from Latin 'verus', also meaning 'true'. Originally, 'very' was used as an adjective meaning 'true' — a 'very friend' meant a 'true friend'. Over time, it developed an adverb use meaning 'truly' (as in 'I am very sorry' — 'I am truly sorry'), and this intensifier meaning gradually became the most common use. The modern adjective sense, meaning 'exact' or 'same' ('the very person I saw'), keeps the original idea of truth and exactness alive.