VERY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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very

[ ver-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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) verier, veriest.

precise; particular:
That is the very item we want.
mere:
The very thought of it is distressing.
sheer; utter:
He wept from the very joy of knowing he was safe.
Synonyms: , ,
actual:
He was caught in the very act of stealing.
being such in the true or fullest sense of the term; extreme:
the very heart of the matter.
true; genuine; worthy of being called such:
the very God; a very fool.
rightful or legitimate.

very

/ ˈ��ɛ��ɪ /

adverb

(intensifier) used to add emphasis to adjectives that are able to be graded
very good
very tall

adjective

(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.
1. real or true; genuine
  the very living God
2. lawful
  the very vengeance of the gods

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Usage

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

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Grammar Note

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.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of very¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French verai ( French vrai ), from Vulgar Latin ��ŧ��峦�ܲ� (unrecorded) for Latin ��ŧ�� “truthful,” equivalent to ��ŧ��(�ܲ�) “true” (cognate with Old English ��ǣ��, German wahr “true, correct”) + -�� adjectival suffix

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of very¹

C13: from Old French verai true, from Latin ��ŧ�� true, from ��ŧ��ܲ� true

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Idioms and Phrases

all very well
what's the (the very) idea

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A staff member said Robbie was "very lovely" and even enjoyed a Sunday roast and afternoon tea there with her husband and new baby.

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On Friday, he said he had had a "very productive" call with the leader of Vietnam, helping Nike shares to recover some ground after their steep Thursday falls.

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"His father was killed in a pit accident when Philip was only 14... he wasn't that close to his mother and he'd been very close to his father."

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While conservatives in South Korea have been "very divided and feeble" over the last decade, he says, Yoon is "now more popular with them than he was before he tried to introduce martial law".

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"It's almost been a full-time job trying to keep on top of everything, and it's very easy for people to give up," said Mrs Atkin.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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