fairly
gb/fˈɛɹli/ us/fˈɛɹli/
A2
English
~ 1500
elég, igazságosan, pártatlanul, tisztességesen
A2
1
elég
A2
Usage pattern:
fairly [adjective/adverb]
The movie was fairly interesting, but not amazing.
A film elég érdekes volt, de nem volt lenyűgöző.
It's fairly cold outside today, so bring a jacket.
Ma elég hideg van kint, úgyhogy vigyél kabátot.
She speaks Spanish fairly well for a beginner.
The exam was fairly easy compared to last year.
Learner examples
This book is fairly good.
Ez a könyv elég jó.
It is fairly hot today.
Ma elég meleg van.
He runs fairly fast.
The soup is fairly salty.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fairly' with 'very', but 'fairly' is weaker and means only to a moderate degree.
Meaning
to a reasonable extent
Collocations
fairly common
|fairly easy
|fairly small
|fairly quickly
Synonyms
quite (Often slightly stronger in emphasis than 'fairly'.)
|
somewhat (Similar meaning but can sound more formal or cautious.)
Antonyms
extremely (Indicates a much higher degree than 'fairly'.)
|
barely (Indicates an amount much smaller than 'fairly'.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To some degree, but not very much.
To a moderate or average degree; somewhat.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
treat [someone] fairly
The teacher graded all the exams fairly.
A tanár igazságosan értékelte az összes dolgozatot.
We expect the law to be applied fairly to everyone.
Elvárjuk, hogy a törvényt mindenkire igazságosan alkalmazzák.
He always tries to treat his employees fairly.
The game was played fairly by both teams.
Learner examples
She treats all her children fairly.
Minden gyerekével igazságosan bánik.
The judge listened fairly to both sides.
A bíró pártatlanul meghallgatta mindkét felet.
We must play the game fairly.
He paid me fairly for my work.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with 'moderately'. Here it means 'in a fair way', not 'somewhat'.
Meaning
in a fair manner
Collocations
treat fairly
|play fairly
|judge fairly
Synonyms
justly (More formal and emphasizes moral correctness.)
|
honestly (Focuses more on truthfulness than equality.)
Antonyms
unfairly (Opposite; treating people without justice or equality.)
|
unjustly (Formal opposite; acting without moral rightness.)
Themes
ethics
|social
|core_vocabulary
|relationships
|law
Definition
In a way that treats people equally and honestly.
In a way that is fair, just, and reasonable.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fairly
IPA
GB/fˈɛɹli/
US/fˈɛɹli/
Syllables & stress
fairly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (fairly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fairly
- Plural: fairlies
Word family
Expressions
fairly well
1/fˈɛɹli wˈɛl/
fixed phrase
moderately good performance or ability
To do something in a way that is good but not perfect.
Examples
- She speaks French fairly well after only six months of study.
- I think the meeting went fairly well overall.
treat someone fairly
1/tɹˈit sˈʌmwˌʌn fˈɛɹli/
fixed phrase
act justly toward someone
To be honest and equal when dealing with someone.
Examples
- It's important to treat all students fairly.
- The company promised to treat its workers fairly.