fairly

[ fair-lee ]

/ ˈfɛər li /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fairly ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

in a fair manner; justly or honestly; impartially.

moderately; tolerably: a fairly heavy rain.

properly; legitimately: a claim fairly made.

clearly; distinctly: fairly seen.

Chiefly Southern U.S.

actually; completely: The wheels fairly spun.
almost; practically: He slipped off the roof and fairly broke his neck.

Obsolete. softly.

Obsolete. courteously.

Nearby words

Origin of fairly

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at fair¹, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fairly

These were conversations that took a fairly grim twist pretty quickly.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We were barely into the appetizer when he asked a fairly basic question—where did my family live?
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, it was a fairly disappointing year in music—one devoid of Goth teen prodigies, Yeezy, and galvanizing rock anthems.
The 14 Best Songs of 2014: Bobby Shmurda, Future Islands, Drake, and More|Marlow Stern|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nothing will work sensibly, or fairly, until human responsibility is restored as the activating force for all public choices.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

At this point, the female rapper comes across as fairly sympathetic—that is, until Azealia Banks grabs the mic.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year|Amy Zimmerman|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The latter would sometimes exclaim, before the agents and the heirs were fairly out of hearing, "I can't understand the thing!"
Ursula|Honore de Balzac
It seemed to Polly that the days fairly crept by, instead of galloping past as they had been wont to do in the last three years.
Polly's Southern Cruise|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
By midnight he would be fairly safe from the fear of discovery.
The Shrieking Pit|Arthur J. Rees
She had fairly to shout to be heard above the noise of the wind and rain.
The Motor Girls on the Coast|Margaret Penrose
Far be it from me to deny to this reasoning such validity as it may fairly claim.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2|John Tyndall

British Dictionary definitions for fairly

fairly

/ (ˈfɛəlɪ) /

adverb

(not used with a negative) moderately

as deserved; justly

(not used with a negative) positively; absolutelythe hall fairly rang with applause

archaic clearly

obsolete courteously

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fairly

fairly

adv.

c.1400, "handsomely," from fair (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "impartially" is from 1670s; "somewhat" is from 1805; meaning "totally" is earlier (1590s).

fairly

adverb

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Nearby words

Origin of fairly

Examples from the Web for fairly

fairly

adverb

fairly