Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Fairly means to quite a large degree. For example, if you say that something is ~ old, you mean that it is old but not very old.
Both ships are ~ new...
We did ~ well but only ~ well.
= quite
ADV: ADV adj/adv
2.
You use ~ instead of ‘very’ to add emphasis to an adjective or adverb without making it sound too forceful.
Were you always ~ bright at school?...
I’ll have no income and no home and will need a job ~ badly.
= pretty
ADV: ADV adj/adv vagueness
3.
see also fair