Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

very

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛri/
Translate very | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of very

adverb

  • used for emphasis:
  • in a high degree:a very large amount the river rose very quickly very much so
  • (with superlative or own) used to emphasize that the following description applies without qualification:the very best quality his very own car

adjective

  • 1actual; precise (used to emphasize the exact identity of someone or something):those were his very words he might be phoning her at this very moment
  • archaic real; genuine:the very God of Heaven
  • 2emphasizing an extreme point in time or space:from the very beginning of the book at the very back of the skull
  • 3with no addition of anything else; mere:the very thought of drink made him feel sick

Phrases

not very

  • 1in a low degree:‘Bad news?’ ‘Not very.’
  • 2far from being:I’m not very impressed

the very idea!

see idea.

the very same

see same.

very well

(or dated very good)
used to express agreement or consent:oh very well then, come in very well, you may join me very good, sir, will that be all?

Origin:

Middle English (as an adjective in the sense 'real, genuine'): from Old French verai, based on Latin verus 'true'

very in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of very in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

Word of the day

epithalamium

/ ˌɛpɪθəˈleɪmɪəm /
noun
a song or poem celebrating a marriage …