very

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled Varrah, Varry, and wery

US /ˈvɛri/ UK /ˈvɛɹi/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like berry /v/ vs /b/

Freq #108

Meanings

1

adv
To a great degree; extremely.

It was a very cold morning.
2

adv
Used to emphasize that something is exactly the one mentioned.

This is the very book I was looking for.
3

adj
Exactly the same; identical.

He proposed at the very table where they first met.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · to a great degree; extremely. really terribly

3 adj · exactly the same; identical. selfsame

More absolutely abundantly completely damn eminently exceedingly excessively extremely flipping freakingfuckinggreatly

Opposites

almost mostly slightly

Word family

Forms veriest

Derived forms very-large-scalevery-lightvery-long-chain

Related forms degree quantity

Appears in

Phrases (9)

See all

very complicated
Difficult to understand or deal with because of many connected parts or problems.

Adverb + adjective
very disappointing
Failing badly to meet someone's hopes or expectations.

Adverb + adjective
very funny
Causing a great deal of amusement or laughter.

Adverb + adjective
very unfit
In poor physical condition to a marked degree.

Adverb + adjective
very uninteresting
Offering very little that attracts attention or curiosity.

Adverb + adjective
very unlike
Markedly different from one another or from something else.

Adverb + adjective

Simplified etymology

Very dates from Middle English and ultimately derives from Latin verus, “true,” the same Latin source found in verdict.

Etymology

From Middle English verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr (“true”). Over time displaced the use of a number of Germanic words or prefixes to convey the sense 'very' such as fele, full-, mægen, sore, sin-, swith, (partially) wel.

*weh₁- Proto-Indo-European verray Middle English verai Old French vērāgus la-eme vērāx la-cla *wēros Proto-Italic *weh₁ros Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# very

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɛri/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɛɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 108

## Meanings
1. To a great degree; extremely.
2. Used to emphasize that something is exactly the one mentioned.
3. Exactly the same; identical.

## Examples
- It was a very cold morning.
- This is the very book I was looking for.
- He proposed at the very table where they first met.

## Synonyms
- absolutely
- abundantly
- completely
- damn
- eminently
- exceedingly
- excessively
- extremely
- flipping
- freaking
- fucking
- greatly

## Antonyms
- almost
- mostly
- slightly

## Derived Forms
- very-large-scale
- very-light
- very-long-chain

## Related Forms
- degree
- quantity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weh₁-
- Root: verray
- Root: verai
- Root: vērāgus
- Root: vērāx
- Root: *wēros
- Root: *weh₁ros

## Etymology
From Middle English verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr (“true”). Over time displaced the use of a number of Germanic words or prefixes to convey the sense 'very' such as fele, full-, mægen, sore, sin-, swith, (partially) wel.

## AI Etymology
Very is from Middle English verray, from Old French verai (“true”), from Early Medieval Latin vērāgus, from Classical Latin vērāx, derived from vērus, from Proto-Italic *wēros, from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros. Distantly cognate with the Old English wǣr (“true”). Over time displaced the use of a number of Germanic words or prefixes to convey the sense 'very' such as fele, full-, mægen, sore, sin-, swith, (partially) wel. In present-day use, it can mean to a great degree; extremely, or used to emphasize that something is exactly the one mentioned.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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