INDEX:
1. more than a little, but not very
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ VERY
◆◆◆
1. more than a little, but not very
▷ fairly /ˈfeəʳli/ [adverb]
if something is fairly heavy, fairly easy etc, it is more than a little heavy or easy, but it is not very heavy or very easy :
▪ The house has a fairly big living room.
▪ She was fairly certain that she had been there before.
▪ The disease is still fairly common in many countries.
▷ quite /kwaɪt/ [predeterminer/adverb] especially British
if something is quite heavy, quite easy etc, it is more than a little heavy or easy, but it is not very heavy or very easy :
▪ The hotel was quite expensive.
▪ Geoffrey was young, handsome and probably quite wealthy.
▪ I quite like it here but I’d rather live in Manchester.
quite a long way/a nice day/a good book etc
▪ It’s quite a long way to the church from here.
▪ I thought it was quite an interesting movie.
quite a lot
▪ Mick and Carla have been together quite a lot recently.
▷ pretty /ˈprɪti/ [adverb] spoken
more than a little, but not very :
▪ It’s pretty cold today.
▪ ‘It’s pretty tough work,’ he wearily confessed.
▪ ‘Hi Beth, how are you?’ ‘Pretty good. And you?’
▪ I felt pretty nervous going into the exam, but after I got started I loosened up some.
▷ moderately /ˈmɒd ə rɪtli, ˈmɒd ə rətliǁˈmɑː-/ [adverb] formal
more than a little, but not very :
▪ The food was only moderately good - nothing special.
▪ The guidebook describes the climb as ‘moderately difficult’.
▪ While his career as a pro football player was moderately successful, he certainly wasn’t famous.
▪ She did moderately well in her final examinations.
▷ rather /ˈrɑːðəʳǁˈræ-/ [predeterminer/adverb] especially British
much more than a little, but not very - use this especially to describe something bad, unsuitable etc :
▪ Gail seems rather unhappy today.
▪ The attendance figures for this year’s festival were rather disappointing.
rather a long way/a short dress etc
▪ Unfortunately, we’re rather a long way from the airport.
rather a lot
▪ She was wearing rather a lot of make-up.
▷ somewhat /ˈsʌmwɒtǁ-wɑːt/ [adverb] formal
use this especially to talk about something that is in fact more than a little annoying, big, high etc but you do not want to say this directly :
▪ The ambassador looked somewhat irritated by the interruption.
▪ My husband has a somewhat higher opinion of Mr Jones than I do.
▪ This year’s celebrations should be somewhat larger than last year’s.
▷ reasonably /ˈriːz ə nəbli/ [adverb]
to a satisfactory level or degree :
▪ She speaks Spanish reasonably well.
▪ Kevin is a hard worker and reasonably intelligent but he has never been promoted.
▪ Chao is still in reasonably good health.