fairly
adverb OPAL S
/ˈfeəli/
/ˈferli/
Idioms - fairly simple/easy/straightforward
- This is a fairly common problem.
- It's fairly obvious what's going on here.
- It's fairly clear that there is still room for improvement.
- That's a fairly typical reaction.
- I know him fairly well, but I wouldn't say we were really close friends.
- We'll have to leave fairly soon (= before very long).
- I'm fairly certain I can do the job.
- He was fairly sure he was right.
- I think you'll find it fairly difficult (= you do not want to say that it is very difficult).
Which Word? quite / fairly / rather / prettyquite / fairly / rather / prettyLook at these examples:- The exam was fairly difficult.
- The exam was quite difficult.
- The exam was rather difficult.
- Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in North American English; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal British English too:
- The exam was pretty difficult.
- In British English quite has two meanings:
- I feel quite tired today
- I feel quite exhausted.
- Your essay is quite good
- Your essay is quite good
- In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
Extra Examples- a fairly new car
- The restaurant was fairly close to my hotel.
- The software is fairly easy to use.
- The report was fairly incomprehensible.
- I go jogging fairly regularly.
- He has always treated me very fairly.
- Her attitude could fairly be described as hostile.
- (old-fashioned) used to emphasize something that you are saying
- The time fairly raced by.
Idioms
fairly and squarely
(also fair and square)
- honestly and according to the rules
- (British English) in a direct way that is easy to understand
- (British English) exactly in the place you were aiming for