fair
1free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision;a fair judge.
legitimately sought, pursued, done, given, etc.; proper under the rules: a fair fight.
moderately large; ample: a fair income.
of a light hue; not dark: fair skin.
pleasing in appearance; attractive: a fair young maiden.
neither excellent nor poor; moderately or tolerably good: fair health.
marked by favoring conditions; promising: I can now assure my two little daughters of a fair future.The chief medical officer pronounced him in a fair way to recovery.
Meteorology.
(of the sky) bright; sunny; cloudless to half-cloudy.
(of the weather) fine; with no prospect of rain, snow, or hail; not stormy.
unobstructed; not blocked up: The way was fair for our advance.
without irregularity or unevenness: a fair surface.
free from blemish, imperfection, or anything that impairs the appearance, quality, or character: Her fair reputation was ruined by gossip.
easy to read; clear: fair handwriting.
seemingly good or sincere but not really so: The suitor beguiled his mistress with fair speeches.
Nautical. (of a wind or tide) tending to aid the progress of a vessel.
Medicine/Medical. (of a patient's condition) having stable and normal vital signs and other favorable indicators, as appetite and mobility, but being in some discomfort and having the possibility of a worsening state.
in a fair manner: He doesn't play fair.
straight; directly, as in aiming or hitting: He threw the ball fair to the goal.
favorably; auspiciously.
British, Australian. entirely; completely; quite: It happened so quickly that it fair took my breath away.
Archaic. something that is fair.
Archaic.
a woman.
a beloved woman.
to make the connection or junction of (surfaces) smooth and even.
Shipbuilding.
to draw and adjust (the lines of a hull being designed) to produce regular surfaces of the correct form.
to adjust the form of (a frame or templet) in accordance with a design, or cause it to conform to the general form of a hull.
to restore (a bent plate or structural member) to its original form.
to align (the frames of a vessel under construction) in proper position.
to bring (rivet holes in connecting structural members) into perfect alignment.
Obsolete. to make fair.
fair off / up South Midland and Southern U.S. (of the weather) to clear: It's supposed to fair off toward evening.
Idioms about fair
bid fair, to seem likely: This entry bids fair to win first prize.
fair and square,
honestly; justly; straightforwardly: He won the race fair and square.
honest; just; straightforward: He was admired for being fair and square in all his dealings.
fair to middling, Informal. only tolerably good; so-so.
Origin of fair
1synonym study For fair
Other words for fair
Other words from fair
- fairness, noun
Words that may be confused with fair
Other definitions for fair (2 of 2)
an exhibition, usually competitive, of farm products, livestock, etc., often combined with entertainment and held annually by a county or state.
a periodic gathering of buyers and sellers in an appointed place.
an exposition in which different exhibitors participate, sometimes with the purpose of buying or selling: More than twenty-five employers with multiple open positions will be meeting with applicants at this weekend’s job fair.
an exhibition and sale of articles to raise money, often for some charitable purpose.
Origin of fair
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fair in a sentence
They bid fair again to rank among the "merchant princes" of the times.
Each man was struggling with himself and nerving himself for what bid fair to be a dreadful conflict.
"Shiloh" as Seen by a Private Soldier | Warren OlneyHundreds of signs disclose the dawn of a revival of true taste in which England and America bid fair to lead the world.
Milton's England | Lucia Ames MeadWhen the heap bid fair to block her in altogether, she backed awkwardly, shovelling it out as she came.
Lives of the Fur Folk | M. D. HavilandCaptain Jerry was already half-way to the fence, and going at a rate which bid fair to establish a record for his age.
Cap'n Eri | Joseph Crosby Lincoln
British Dictionary definitions for fair (1 of 2)
/ (fɛə) /
free from discrimination, dishonesty, etc; just; impartial
in conformity with rules or standards; legitimate: a fair fight
(of the hair or complexion) light in colour
beautiful or lovely to look at
moderately or quite good: a fair piece of work
unblemished; untainted
(of the tide or wind) favourable to the passage of a vessel
sunny, fine, or cloudless
(prenominal) informal thorough; real: a fair battle to get to the counter
pleasant or courteous
apparently good or valuable, but really false: fair words
open or unobstructed: a fair passage
Australian (of handwriting) clear and legible
a fair crack of the whip, Australian a fair shake of the dice or a fair go informal a fair opportunity; fair chance
fair and square in a correct or just way
fair do's
equal shares or treatment
an expression of appeal for equal shares or treatment
fair enough! an expression of agreement
fair go! Australian and NZ informal come off it!; I don't believe it!
fair to middling about average
in a fair way; correctly: act fair, now!
absolutely or squarely; quite: the question caught him fair off his guard
dialect really or very: fair tired
(intr) dialect (of the weather) to become fine and mild
archaic a person or thing that is beautiful or valuable, esp a woman
Origin of fair
1Derived forms of fair
- fairness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for fair (2 of 2)
/ (fɛə) /
a travelling entertainment with sideshows, rides, etc, esp one that visits places at the same time each year
a gathering of producers of and dealers in a given class of products to facilitate business: a book fair
an event including amusements and the sale of goods, esp for a charity; bazaar
a regular assembly at a specific place for the sale of goods, esp livestock
Origin of fair
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with fair
In addition to the idioms beginning with fair
- fair and square
- fair enough
- fair game
- fair play
- fair sex
- fair shake, a
- fair to middling
- fairy godmother
also see:
- all's fair in love and war
- play fair
- turnabout is fair play
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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