very
pronunciation
How to pronounce very in British English:
UK [ˈveri]
How to pronounce very in American English:
US [ˈveri]
-
- Adjective:
- precisely as stated
- being the exact same one; not any other:
- used to give emphasis to the relevance of the thing modified
- used to give emphasis
-
- Adverb:
- used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally for `really'; `rattling' is informal
- precisely so
Word Origin
- very
- very: [13] Latin vērus meant ‘true’ (it came ultimately from Indo-European *wēros, source also of German wahr ‘true’, and it has also given English verdict, verify [14], verisimilitude [17], and veritable [15]). From it was derived Vulgar Latin *vērāius, which passed into English via Old French verai. Very was originally exclusively an adjective, meaning ‘true’. It was not used as an adverb, meaning ‘truly’, until the 14th century, and its modern role as an intensifier did not begin to emerge until the 15th century.=> verdict, verify
- very (adj.)
- late 13c., verray "true, real, genuine," later "actual, sheer" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French verrai, Old French verai "true, truthful, sincere; right, just, legal," from Vulgar Latin *veracus, from Latin verax (genitive veracis) "truthful," from verus "true" (source also of Italian vero), from PIE root *were-o- "true, trustworthy" (cognates: Old English wær "a compact," Old Dutch, Old High German war, Dutch waar, German wahr "true;" Welsh gwyr, Old Irish fir "true;" Old Church Slavonic vera "faith," Russian viera "faith, belief"). Meaning "greatly, extremely" is first recorded mid-15c. Used as a pure intensive since Middle English.
Example
- 1. Rules are very important here .
- 2. Poor robert was very hungry .
- 3. I will be very careful .
- 4. And very low tax rates for permanent residents .
- 5. The room looks very nice .