Definition

in a handsome manner //a table fairly set
obsolete
in a gentle manner quietly
in a courteous manner
so to speak nearly, practically //fairly bursting with pride
in a proper or legal manner //fairly priced stocks
without bias or distortion impartially //a story told fairly and objectively
to a full degree or extent plainly, distinctly //had fairly caught sight of him
rather sense 5, moderately //a fairly easy job

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

enough kindly [chiefly Southern] kind of like moderately more or less pretty quite rather relatively something somewhat sort of

Examples

//It's a fairly common disease.
//I told the story as fairly as possible.
//He reports fairly on the issues.
//He beat me fairly and squarely.

First Known Use

before 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

fairly

adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms

to some degree or extent //for someone without professional training, she sings fairly well
Synonyms

enough kindly [chiefly Southern] kind of like moderately more or less pretty quite rather relatively something somewhat sort of
Related Words

acceptably decently passably tolerably
little negligibly nominally slightly vaguely
half halfway incompletely part partially partly partway
Synonymous Phrases

a bit after a sort a little a mite a tad a touch of sorts (or of a sort) to a degree
Near Antonyms

awfully beastly deadly especially exceedingly (also exceeding) exceptionally extremely frightfully greatly heavily highly hugely mightily mortally particularly surpassingly terribly very
considerably extensively significantly substantially
according to the rules or the law //had acquired the land fairly
Synonyms

clean cleanly fair legally
Related Words

ethically high-mindedly morally nobly
honorably
Near Antonyms

ignobly immorally underhandedly unethically
dishonorably
Antonyms

dirty illegally
very close to but not completely //he fairly knocked me flat on my face as he ran by
Synonyms

about all but almost borderline fair [chiefly British] feckly [chiefly Scottish] more or less most much near nearly next to nigh practically somewhere virtually well-nigh
Related Words

appreciably by and large chiefly largely mainly mostly
kind of partially partly somewhat
Synonymous Phrases

as good as just about pretty much within an inch of
Near Antonyms

absolutely altogether completely entirely fully plain plumb [chiefly dialect] quite thoroughly
totally utterly well wholly
barely hardly scarcely