Meaning & use
fairly
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Meanings
adverbnot comparable
To a moderate degree; more than a little but less than very.
Grammar: Comes before an adjective or adverb: fairly easy, fairly quickly. It is not used with comparatives.
Patterns
- fairly + adjective
- fairly + adverb
The test was fairly easy, but a few questions were tricky.
He plays tennis fairly well for a beginner.
We arrived fairly late, so the best seats were gone.
adverbnot comparable
In a way that treats people equally and honestly, without favoring anyone.
Grammar: Comes after the verb or object: treat everyone fairly. It can be compared with more fairly.
Patterns
- treat someone fairly
- play fairly
- judge something fairly
The teacher marked every paper fairly.
They promised to divide the profits fairly among the staff.
He did not win fairly, because he broke the rules.
adverbnot comparableformal
Quite accurately or truly, in a way that most people would accept as right.
Grammar: Often used with say, describe or claim: it can fairly be said that.
Patterns
- can fairly be said
- fairly describe something
It can fairly be said that the festival saved the town.
She was fairly described as the best player of her generation.
Common combinations
- fairly good
- The food was fairly good, though a little salty.
- fairly sure
- I am fairly sure I left my keys on the table.
- treat someone fairly
- Employers must treat all workers fairly.
- fairly and squarely
- The ball landed fairly and squarely in the net.
- fairly common
- This bird is fairly common in northern woods.
- play fairly
- If you play fairly, you will earn respect.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quite
- Quite is similar in the moderate sense but varies in strength with context, and in British usage it can sound stronger than fairly.
- rather
- Rather is a little stronger than fairly and often hints at surprise or mild criticism.
- somewhat
- Somewhat is more formal and suggests a small degree, often with a negative or neutral adjective.
- justly
- Justly matches the honest, equal-treatment sense only, and sounds more formal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fairly or rather? fairly or fair?
fairly vs rather
Rather is a little stronger than fairly and is often used when something is more than expected; fairly is milder and more positive.
fairly vs fair
Fair is the adjective, so after a verb meaning behave you need the adverb: play fairly, not play fair, in careful writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses fairly in the sense of 'in a just way'?
Choose one answer.
Treated both sides fairly means without favoring either side. In the other sentences, fairly only softens an adjective or adverb to mean 'quite'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fairly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.