very — to a high degree; extremely
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: to a high degree; extremely
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈveri/
Example Sentences
- I'm very hungry because I skipped breakfast to catch the very first bus.
- My cat is very lazy - she sleeps 20 hours a day and still looks tired.
- That's the very moment when I realized I was wearing my shirt inside out all day.
very
ADVERB[/ˈveri/]
to a high degree; extremely
A person is very relieved jumping into cool pool water
Very merry dancing under the cherry tree!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Very derives from Old French verai (truthful), which originated from Latin verus (truth). The word's meaning evolved from its original sense of 'true' or 'genuine' to function as an intensifier meaning 'to a great degree'.
Breakdown
verai (truthful, true) from Latin verus (truth) + -y (adverbial suffix). The semantic shift from 'truthful/genuine' to 'very much' reflects the word's function as an emphatic modifier.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I'm very hungry because I skipped breakfast to catch the very first bus.”
“My cat is very lazy - she sleeps 20 hours a day and still looks tired.”
“That's the very moment when I realized I was wearing my shirt inside out all day.”
“The exam was very difficult, but I studied very hard for it.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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