Adverbs of Degree

What Adverbs of Degree Are

Adverbs of degree tell us how much of a quality there is. They make adjectives, other adverbs, or verbs stronger or weaker.

The film was very good. (a strong adjective is made stronger)

I'm fairly tired. (a softer way to say tired)

The coffee is too hot. (more than is acceptable)

In this lesson we will look at: very, quite, too, enough, extremely, fairly, rather, pretty, and absolutely — and the rules that decide which one fits with which adjective.

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Two Kinds of Adjectives: Gradable and Ungradable

This is the key idea behind adverbs of degree.

Type	Example adjectives	Idea
Gradable	cold, tired, big, interesting, good	Can be more or less. You can be a little tired or very tired.
Ungradable (strong)	freezing, exhausted, huge, fascinating, perfect	Already extreme. You can’t be a little exhausted.

Each kind takes different adverbs of degree.

Use with gradable	Use with ungradable
very, quite, extremely, fairly, rather, pretty, a bit, slightly	absolutely, completely, totally, utterly

I'm very tired. ✓ (tired is gradable)

I'm absolutely exhausted. ✓ (exhausted is ungradable)

I'm very exhausted. ✗ (you can’t be more or less exhausted — it’s already extreme)

Really is the helpful exception — it works with both: really tired, really exhausted.

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Position Rules

Most adverbs of degree go before the word they modify (the adjective, adverb, or verb).

She is very kind. (before the adjective)

He drives extremely fast. (before the adverb)

I quite like jazz. (before the verb — note the position with quite)

The big exception is enough, which goes after the adjective or adverb.

The coffee is hot enough. ✓ (after the adjective)

He doesn't run fast enough. ✓ (after the adverb)

The coffee is enough hot. ✗

Pattern	Example
very/quite/too + adjective	very tall, quite difficult, too cold
enough after adjective	tall enough, warm enough
enough before noun	enough money, enough time

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very (gradable, neutral)

Very is the most common intensifier. It works with gradable adjectives and adverbs.

The film was very good.

She speaks very clearly.

I'm very interested in history.

Don’t use very with strong adjectives:

Wrong	Better
very excellent	excellent (or really excellent informally)
very freezing	absolutely freezing
very perfect	absolutely perfect

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quite (a tricky one)

Quite has two different meanings depending on the adjective.

Adjective type	Meaning of quite	Example
Gradable	”fairly / somewhat” (less than very)	The film was quite good. (= fairly good, but not great)
Ungradable	”completely / absolutely”	That's quite impossible! (= totally impossible)

In British English, quite with gradable adjectives often means “less than fully” — quite good is less than very good. In American English, quite often means closer to very. Context and intonation matter.

Quite also goes before a/an + adjective + noun:

That's quite a story!

It was quite an experience.

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too (more than is acceptable)

Too means excessively — there is a problem.

The coffee is too hot. I can't drink it.

This jacket is too small for me.

You're driving too fast.

It is followed by an adjective or adverb. Compare it with very and enough:

Adverb	Idea	Example
very	high amount, no problem	The coffee is very hot — I love it.
too	more than I want / can use	The coffee is too hot — I can't drink it.
enough	sufficient	The coffee is hot enough.

You can extend too with for + person or to + verb:

This box is too heavy for me.

This box is too heavy to lift.

This box is too heavy for me to lift.

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enough (sufficient)

Enough means as much as is needed. Position rules:

Position	Example
After adjective/adverb	tall enough, quickly enough
Before a noun	enough time, enough money, enough chairs

We don't have enough chairs for everyone.

Are you warm enough?

I didn't run fast enough to catch the bus.

You can also extend enough with for or to:

This shirt isn't big enough for me.

He's old enough to drive.

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extremely, fairly, rather, pretty

These adverbs all change the strength of a gradable adjective, but in different directions.

Adverb	Strength	Tone
extremely	very strong	neutral, slightly formal
fairly	moderate (a bit weaker than quite)	neutral
rather	moderate	British, slightly more formal
pretty	moderate to strong	informal, conversational

The exam was extremely difficult. (very, very difficult)

The exam was fairly difficult. (a bit difficult, not too bad)

The exam was rather difficult. (similar to quite, slightly formal)

The exam was pretty difficult. (informal, “quite difficult”)

Rather often suggests something is unexpected or a little more than expected:

The film was rather good, actually. (better than I thought)

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absolutely (with ungradable adjectives)

Absolutely, completely, and totally work with ungradable (extreme) adjectives.

Gradable	Ungradable equivalent
cold	freezing
hot	boiling
tired	exhausted
big	huge / enormous
small	tiny
good	excellent / perfect
bad	terrible / awful
interesting	fascinating
surprised	amazed / astonished

It's absolutely freezing outside!

I'm completely exhausted after that run.

The view was absolutely amazing.

That's absolutely perfect.

Avoid mixing: very freezing, absolutely cold usually sound wrong to native speakers.

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better	Why
The coffee is enough hot.	The coffee is hot enough.	Enough goes after an adjective.
She is too much tired.	She is too tired.	Don’t use too much before an adjective; just too.
I'm very exhausted.	I'm absolutely exhausted. (or really exhausted)	Exhausted is ungradable; use absolutely.
The film was absolutely good.	The film was very good. (or absolutely fantastic)	Use absolutely with an ungradable adjective.
He is enough old to drive.	He is old enough to drive.	Position again: enough after the adjective.
We have enough not chairs.	We don't have enough chairs.	Word order in negatives.
It is too much hot in here.	It is too hot in here.	Too (not too much) goes before adjectives.

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Practice: Exercises

1 / 15

I'm ___ tired. I want to go to bed.

AabsolutelyBveryCcompletelyDtotally

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Summary

Adverbs of degree change how strong an adjective, adverb, or verb feels. The first thing to ask is: gradable or ungradable? With gradable adjectives like tired, cold, interesting, use very, quite, extremely, fairly, rather, or pretty. With ungradable adjectives like exhausted, freezing, fascinating, use absolutely, completely, or totally.

Too, very, and enough are easy to mix up. Very is high but neutral. Too means there is a problem (more than I want). Enough means sufficient — and remember it goes after adjectives and adverbs but before nouns.

When you are not sure, really is a safe choice that works with both gradable and ungradable adjectives. With practice, the right modifier will start to feel natural.