I. ve ‧ ry 1 S1 W1 /ˈveri/ BrE AmE adverb
1 . [+ adjective/adverb] used to emphasize an adjective, adverb, or phrase:
It feels very cold today.
The fishing industry is very important to the area.
The traffic’s moving very slowly this morning.
problems that are very similar to mine
I feel a lot better – thank you very much.
I’m very, very (=used for emphasis) pleased you can come.
It’s very kind of you to help.
My sister and I were married on the very same (=exactly the same) day.
the very best/latest/worst etc
We only use the very best ingredients.
2 . not very good/happy/far etc
not good etc at all:
I’m just not very good at spelling.
The garden’s not very big, is it?
The assistant wasn’t very helpful.
‘Was the talk interesting?’ ‘Not very (=only slightly) .’
3 . your very own used to emphasize the fact that something belongs to one particular person and to no one else:
She was thrilled at the idea of having her very own toys to play with.
of your very own
At last, she had a home of her very own.
4 . informal used with adjectives to say that the quality something has is very noticeable or typical:
It was a very male reaction, I thought.
His films are always very French.
5 . very much so spoken used to emphasize your agreement or approval:
‘Are you serious?’ ‘Very much so.’
6 . very well old-fashioned spoken used to agree to something
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GRAMMAR
Do not use very with adjectives that have 'very' as part of their meaning, for example 'terrible' (=very bad) and 'fascinating' (=very interesting). Just use the adjective, or use absolutely to emphasize it:
▪
a terrible car crash
▪
I felt absolutely terrible.
Do not use very on its own with verbs and prepositional phrases. Use very much :
▪
He very much regrets what happened.
▪
Their efforts were very much appreciated.
▪
I liked him very much.
▪
He was very much in demand as a lecturer.
In more formal English, much can sometimes be used without 'very' before a past participle or a preposition:
▪
The point has been much disputed.
▪
China has been much in the news recently.
II. very 2 S2 W1 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: verai , from Latin verax 'truthful' , from verus 'true' ]
used to emphasize that you are talking exactly about one particular thing or person:
He died in this very room.
I’ll start at the very beginning.
Those were his very words.
You’d better start doing some work this very minute (=now, not later) .
That might provoke a riot, the very thing he was trying to avoid.
The very fact that you are reading this book suggests you want to improve your fitness.
By its very nature, capitalism involves exploitation of the worker.
His life’s work was being destroyed before his very eyes (=directly in front of him) .
the very thought/idea/mention (of something) (=just thinking about or suggesting something)
The very thought of food made me feel ill.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ the very end
To the very end of his life he remained a controversial figure.
▪ the very beginning
It is clear from the very beginning of the play that he is a weak and unpopular ruler.
▪ the very heart of something
The hotel is located in the very heart of the city.
▪ the very fact that
The very fact that this is their second home means that they are well-off.
▪ the/that/this very moment
At that very moment, the doorbell rang.
▪ the/that very thing
How can he say that it's wrong, and then go and do that very thing himself?
▪ the very nature/essence of something
As a travel writer, the very nature of his job meant that he travelled a lot.
▪ the very existence of something
If the new project fails, it could threaten the very existence of the company.
▪ the very idea/thought (=just an idea or suggestion)
The very idea of acting on stage scares the pants off me.
▪ this/that very reason
I want everyone to be able to cook my recipes, so for that very reason I chose inexperienced cooks to test them.