very
[ ver-ee ]
/ ˈvɛr i /
adverb
in a high degree; extremely; exceedingly: A giant is very tall.
(used as an intensive emphasizing superlatives or stressing identity or oppositeness): the very best thing; in the very same place as before.
adjective, (Obsolete) ver·i·er, ver·i·est.
Origin of very
1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French
verai (French
vrai) < Vulgar Latin
*vērācus, for Latin
vērāx truthful, equivalent to
vēr(us) true (cognate with Old English
wǣr, German
wahr true, correct) +
-āx adj. suffix
usage note for very
Past participles that have become established as adjectives can, like most English adjectives, be modified by the adverb
very :
a very driven person; We were very concerned for your safety.
Very does not modify past participles that are clearly verbal; for example,
The lid was very sealed is not an idiomatic construction, while
The lid was very tightly sealed is. Sometimes confusion arises over whether a given past participle is adjectival and thus able to be modified by
very without an intervening adverb. However, there is rarely any objection to the use of this intervening adverb, no matter how the past participle is functioning. Such use often occurs in edited writing:
We were very much relieved to find the children asleep. They were very greatly excited by the news. I feel very badly cheated.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH very
much very (see usage note at the current entry)Words nearby very
Example sentences from the Web for very
British Dictionary definitions for very
very
/ (ˈvɛrɪ) /
adverb
(intensifier) used to add emphasis to adjectives that are able to be graded
very good; very tall
adjective (prenominal)
(intensifier) used with nouns preceded by a definite article or possessive determiner, in order to give emphasis to the significance, appropriateness or relevance of a noun in a particular context, or to give exaggerated intensity to certain nouns
the very man I want to see; his very name struck terror; the very back of the room
(intensifier) used in metaphors to emphasize the applicability of the image to the situation described
he was a very lion in the fight
archaic
- real or true; genuinethe very living God
- lawfulthe very vengeance of the gods
Word Origin for very
C13: from Old French
verai true, from Latin
vērax true, from
vērus true
usage for very
In strict usage adverbs of degree such as
very, too, quite, really, and
extremely are used only to qualify adjectives:
he is very happy; she is too sad. By this rule, these words should not be used to qualify past participles that follow the verb
to be, since they would then be technically qualifying verbs. With the exception of certain participles, such as
tired or
disappointed, that have come to be regarded as adjectives, all other past participles are qualified by adverbs such as
much, greatly, seriously, or
excessively: he has been much (not
very)
inconvenienced; she has been excessively (not
too)
criticized
Idioms and Phrases with very
very