English — Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree such as very, really, quite, rather, fairly, pretty, too, enough and absolutely say how strong a quality is. Most go before the adjective (very big), but enough comes after it (warm enough).
How it works
Most degree adverbs sit immediately before the adjective or adverb they modify: it's very big, she's really tired, that's too expensive. Enough is an exception and follows the adjective: it's warm enough. Use very/really/absolutely to strengthen, and quite/rather/fairly/pretty for a middle degree, as in it's quite cold and the film was pretty good.
Examples
| Modifier + example | Strength / use |
|---|---|
| very big | Strong; neutral intensifier with gradable adjectives. |
| really good | Strong and informal; common in speech. |
| quite tall | Medium degree; a bit less than very. |
| rather cold | Medium degree, often with a negative or surprised tone. |
| fairly easy | Moderate; weaker than quite or very. |
| pretty tired | Informal; roughly equal to quite/fairly. |
| too hot / warm enough | too = more than wanted (before adjective); enough = sufficient (after adjective). |
| absolutely huge | Used with non-gradable/extreme adjectives, not with very (not very huge). |
Good to know
Match the modifier to the adjective type. Gradable adjectives (big, cold, good) take very/quite: very big. Non-gradable/extreme adjectives (huge, freezing, perfect) take absolutely/really, not very — say absolutely huge, not very huge.