very

1 of 2

adverb

ˈver-ē How to pronounce very (audio)
ˈve-rē
1
: to a high degree : exceedingly
very hot
didn't hurt very much
2
: in actual fact : truly
the very best store in town
told the very same story

very

2 of 2

adjective

verier; veriest
1
a
: exact, precise
the very heart of the city
b
: exactly suitable or necessary
the very thing for the purpose
2
a
: unqualified, sheer
the very shame of it
b
: absolute, utter
the veriest fool alive
3
used as an intensive especially to emphasize identity
before my very eyes
4
: mere, bare
the very thought terrified him
5
: being the same one : selfsame
the very man I saw
6
: special, particular
the very essence of truth is plainness and brightnessJohn Milton
7
a
: properly entitled to the name or designation : true
the fierce hatred of a very womanJ. M. Barrie
b
: actual, real
the very blood and bone of our grammarH. L. Smith †1972
c
: simple, plain
in very truth
Choose the Right Synonym for very

same, selfsame, very, identical, equivalent, equal mean not different or not differing from one another.

same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.

took the same route
derived from the selfsame source

very, like selfsame, may imply identity, or, like same may imply likeness in kind.

the very point I was trying to make

identical may imply selfsameness or suggest absolute agreement in all details.

identical results

equivalent implies amounting to the same thing in worth or significance.

two houses equivalent in market value

equal implies being identical in value, magnitude, or some specified quality.

equal shares in the business

Examples of very in a Sentence

Adverb that was a very brave thing to do the very same thing happened to me Adjective we stayed in the very hotel my parents stayed in for their honeymoon the very thought of having to go through that again is scary
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
To find this evidence, Curiosity and Perseverance are treading very different paths on Mars, more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from each other. Amy J. Williams, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 There are very few photographs — photography was just getting going — but there is a photo of the bed where Lincoln died. William Earl, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 Temperatures very gradually dip to pre-sunrise mid-40s to around 50 degrees. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 The symptoms are very distinctive: the stems of the plants will turn black, there will be black spots on the leaves, and the most distinctive symptom is the plant will defoliate in sections. Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024 The fabric is lightweight yet very durable and can withstand more than 255 wash cycles (equating to over seven years of regular use), according to a third-party tester. Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 16 Mar. 2024 Some of Schneider’s former colleagues describe him as someone who tolerated very little and expected employees to work overtime. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 In October 2022, Grillo bought a very chic mansion in the hills above Hollywood; that elegant spread has just popped back up for sale, asking a hair under $9 million. James McClain, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Taylor Swift has a very famous poet in her bloodline. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The citrus pecking order goes cuties, then lemons for lemon bars, then blood oranges, then G&T limes, then kumquats, and at the very bottom of the list, grapefruit. EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 In a sadly ironic twist, Beverly Hills, 90210’s upcoming Fox reboot was announced the very day of Perry’s stroke. Aili Nahas, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 And the very end of our story is the chapter that will finally reveal the fullness of that meaning. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 That decision continues to have repercussions to this very day. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024 The bomb itself is a cause for something like wonder: a gadget built by men that harnesses the very material of the universe is practically a miracle, but its effects are the exact opposite. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 That scene in particular is one that developed over time and changed at the very end. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 The new Avatar is clearly a labor of love, but its very existence raises the question: Who, exactly, is this for? Devan Coggan, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'very.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English verray, verry, from Anglo-French verai, from Vulgar Latin *veracus, alteration of Latin verac-, verax truthful, from verus true; akin to Old English wǣr true, Old High German wāra trust, care, Greek ēra (accusative) favor

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7a

Time Traveler
The first known use of very was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near very

Cite this Entry

“Very.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/very. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

very

1 of 2 adjective
verier; veriest
1
: being actual or real
2
a
: exact entry 2 sense 1, precise
the very heart of the city
b
: exactly suitable or necessary
the very thing for the purpose
3
: mere entry 2, bare
the very thought terrified them
4
: exactly the same
the very one I saw yesterday

very

2 of 2 adverb
1
: in actual fact : truly
told the very same story
2
: to a great degree : extremely
a very hot day
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English verray, verry "true, real," from early French verai (same meaning), derived from Latin verus "true" — related to verdict, verify

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