very

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[edit] English

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[edit] Etymology

From Middle English verray, verrai (true), from Old French verai (true) (Modern French: vrai), from assumed Vulgar Latin *vērācus, alteration of Latin vērāx (truthful), from Latin vērus (true), from Proto-Indo-European *wēr- (true, benevolent). Cognate with Old English wǣr (true, correct), Dutch waar (true), German wahr (true), Icelandic alvöru (earnest). Displaced native Middle English sore, sār (very) (from Old English sār (grievous, extreme) (Cf. German: sehr, Dutch: zeer), Middle English wel (very) (from Old English wel (well, very)). More at warlock.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Adjective

very (comparative verier, superlative veriest)

  1. True, real, actual
    The fierce hatred of a very woman
    The very blood and bone of our grammar
  2. The same; identical.
    He proposed marriage in the same restaurant, at the very table where they first met.
    That's the very tool that I need.
  3. With limiting effect: mere.
    • 1603, John Florio, trans. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.40:
      We have many examples in our daies, yea in very children, of such as for feare of some slight incommoditie have yeelded unto death.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adverb

very (not comparable)

  1. to a great extent or degree; extremely; exceedingly
    You’re very tall.
  2. true, truly
    He tried his very best.

[edit] Usage notes

  • When used in their senses as degree adverbs, "very" and "too" never modify verbs.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Anagrams

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