Adverbs of Degree

What Are Adverbs of Degree? 

Adverbs of degree modify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs to strengthen or weaken their meaning. They help express:

• Intensity: How strong or extreme something is.
  Example: “It’s extremely hot today.”
• Moderation: To what extent something is true.
  Example: “The book is fairly interesting.”
• Minimal effort: To a slight degree.
  Example: “She is slightly upset.”

🔥 Grading Adverbs

Grading adverbs modify gradable adjectives—those that describe qualities that can vary in degree, such as “hot,” “cold,” or “happy.” They can intensify or weaken the adjective’s meaning.

Common Grading Adverbs and Their Use

Examples of Grading Adverbs:

🎂 The cake is very delicious.
🏃‍♂️ He runs extremely fast.
📚 She is really smart.
🌃 The city is remarkably beautiful at night.
🍰 The dessert is fairly sweet.
🎨 The painting is quite impressive.
📉 The prices dropped slightly.
☕ The coffee is not very hot.
🍋 The lemonade is barely sour.
🍿 The movie was not particularly exciting.
🌞 It’s very sunny today.
🌧️ It’s extremely rainy outside.
🎧 The music is really loud.
🌺 The garden is remarkably colorful.
🍕 The pizza is fairly tasty.
📺 The show is quite entertaining.
💡 The idea is slightly risky.
🚗 The car is not very new.
📱 The phone is barely functional.
🏖️ The beach was not particularly crowded.
🌳 The park is very peaceful.
🍔 The burger is extremely big.
💼 The job is really demanding.
💃 She dances remarkably gracefully.
🚲 The bike is fairly old.
📝 The assignment is quite easy.
📊 The results were slightly disappointing.
🌡️ It’s not very cold today.
👟 The shoes are barely worn.
🎭 The play was not particularly dramatic.
🍦 The ice cream is very creamy.
🏔️ The mountain is extremely high.
🖼️ The art is really abstract.
👗 The dress is remarkably elegant.
💡 The solution is fairly simple.
🎤 His voice is quite powerful.
📚 The book is slightly boring.
🕰️ The meeting was not very productive.
🎈 The balloon is barely inflated.
🚶‍♂️ The walk was not particularly long.
🍇 The grapes are very fresh.

🎯 Non-Grading Adverbs

Non-grading adverbs modify non-gradable adjectives—absolute adjectives that describe extreme states, such as “perfect,” “unique,” or “impossible.” These adverbs convey totality or certainty.

Common Non-Grading Adverbs and Their Use

Examples of Non-Grading Adverbs:

💡 The idea is absolutely brilliant.
👑 She is completely unique.
🏆 The victory was totally deserved.
❄️ The ice is utterly frozen.
🔐 The room is entirely secure.
🎯 His aim is perfectly accurate.
🔬 The research was thoroughly conducted.
⚪ The truth is wholly undeniable.
🌌 The universe is absolutely infinite.
🕊️ The peace agreement is completely final.
🌊 The ocean is entirely calm today.
🌞 The sun is totally essential for life.
💖 Their love is utterly unconditional.
📝 The instructions are perfectly clear.
🎩 His performance was absolutely flawless.
🛡️ The fortress is completely impregnable.
🔒 The data is entirely confidential.
🎼 The symphony was utterly captivating.
📜 The contract is totally binding.
🌟 The star is perfectly round.
🏰 The castle is absolutely magnificent.
📖 The story is completely fictional.
🌈 The colors are entirely natural.
💼 His professionalism is utterly impressive.
🛡️ The shield is totally indestructible.
🍽️ The meal was perfectly cooked.
🌃 The city is absolutely silent at night.
🌐 The network is completely global.
🚀 The mission was entirely successful.
💃 Her dance is utterly mesmerizing.
⚖️ The law is totally just.
🎨 The artwork is perfectly symmetrical.
🔥 The destruction was absolutely total.
🧠 His knowledge is completely comprehensive.
🏅 The athlete is entirely unbeatable.
🎓 Her exam results are utterly outstanding.
🌪️ The storm was totally devastating.
🎭 The performance was perfectly timed.
🧬 The DNA match is absolutely certain.
🏖️ The beach is completely deserted.
🔭 The discovery is entirely groundbreaking.

🌟 Adverbs Used with Both Gradable and Non-Gradable Adjectives

Some adverbs, like “really”, “fairly”, and “pretty”, can be used with both gradable and non-gradable adjectives.

Examples:

😊 She is really happy today. (gradable)
🎯 The test was fairly easy. (gradable)
🌟 The movie was pretty amazing. (non-gradable)
👕 The shirt is really clean. (gradable)
🛣️ The road is fairly straight. (gradable)
🏰 The castle is pretty old. (gradable)
📱 The app is really useful. (gradable)
🍰 The cake is fairly delicious. (gradable)
💃 The performance was pretty perfect. (non-gradable)
🚲 The bike is really new. (gradable)
🌊 The waves are fairly big today. (gradable)
🌞 The weather is pretty excellent. (non-gradable)
📚 The book is really interesting. (gradable)
🍕 The pizza is fairly hot. (gradable)
🎉 The party was pretty incredible. (non-gradable)
🖼️ The picture is really clear. (gradable)
🚗 The car is fairly fast. (gradable)
💎 The diamond is pretty flawless. (non-gradable)
🏠 The house is really spacious. (gradable)
🎮 The game is fairly challenging. (gradable)
🍦 The ice cream is pretty delicious. (gradable)
🌴 The island is really peaceful. (gradable)
🎶 The music is fairly loud. (gradable)
⚡ The speed was pretty incredible. (non-gradable)
🍃 The air is really fresh. (gradable)
🎯 The aim is fairly accurate. (gradable)
🌌 The view is pretty breathtaking. (non-gradable)
🖥️ The computer is really fast. (gradable)
🎈 The balloons are fairly colorful. (gradable)
🔥 The firework show was pretty spectacular. (non-gradable)
🍁 The leaves are really beautiful. (gradable)
🗺️ The map is fairly detailed. (gradable)
💡 The idea is pretty brilliant. (non-gradable)
🏋️‍♂️ The workout was really tough. (gradable)
🍔 The burger is fairly big. (gradable)
🚀 The launch was pretty successful. (non-gradable)
💐 The flowers are really fragrant. (gradable)
🛍️ The store is fairly busy. (gradable)
🏖️ The vacation was pretty perfect. (non-gradable)
📞 The call was really important. (gradable)
🚲 The trail is fairly easy. (gradable)

🔹 The Adverb “Quite”

The meaning of “quite” depends on context and regional differences:

🌍 Usage of “Quite”:

• 🇺🇸 In US English, “quite” usually means “very”.
• 🇬🇧 In UK English, “quite” can mean “somewhat” (weaker for gradable adjectives) or “completely” (stronger for non-gradable adjectives).

Examples with “Quite”

🛣️ The journey was quite long. (US: very long; UK: somewhat long)
🎂 The cake is quite delicious. (US: very delicious; UK: somewhat delicious)
🏰 The castle is quite magnificent. (US & UK: completely magnificent)
📖 The book is quite interesting. (US: very interesting; UK: somewhat interesting)
🎥 The film was quite good. (US: very good; UK: somewhat good)
🌧️ It’s quite rainy today. (US: very rainy; UK: somewhat rainy)
🌟 The performance was quite amazing. (US & UK: completely amazing)
🚗 The car is quite new. (US: very new; UK: somewhat new)
📱 The app is quite useful. (US: very useful; UK: somewhat useful)
💡 The idea is quite brilliant. (US & UK: completely brilliant)
🍕 The pizza is quite hot. (US: very hot; UK: somewhat hot)
🌺 The garden is quite beautiful. (US: very beautiful; UK: somewhat beautiful)
🎶 The music is quite loud. (US: very loud; UK: somewhat loud)
🌌 The view is quite breathtaking. (US & UK: completely breathtaking)
🎮 The game is quite challenging. (US: very challenging; UK: somewhat challenging)
🏖️ The beach is quite empty. (US: very empty; UK: somewhat empty)
📺 The show is quite entertaining. (US: very entertaining; UK: somewhat entertaining)
🚲 The bike ride was quite enjoyable. (US: very enjoyable; UK: somewhat enjoyable)
💼 The job offer is quite attractive. (US: very attractive; UK: somewhat attractive)
🎉 The party was quite unforgettable. (US & UK: completely unforgettable)

🔹 Using Adverbs of Degree to Modify Verbs

Adverbs of degree like “quite,” “really,” and “absolutely” can modify verbs to indicate the extent of an action.

Examples of Adverbs Modifying Verbs:

🎵 She really enjoys music.
🏃‍♂️ He absolutely loves running.
📖 They quite appreciate the gesture.
🎨 I really admire your artwork.
🍽️ We absolutely devoured the meal.
💼 She quite dislikes her job.
🏄‍♂️ He really excels at surfing.
🎤 They absolutely nailed the performance.
🧘‍♀️ I quite enjoy meditation.
🚴‍♀️ We really appreciate the support.
💡 She absolutely believes in her idea.
📚 He quite understands the concept.
🌟 They really value your opinion.
🏖️ I absolutely need a vacation.
🌱 We quite support the initiative.
👨‍🍳 She really enjoys cooking.
🎯 He absolutely aims to win.
📝 They quite consider your proposal.
🎮 I really love this game.
📱 We absolutely rely on technology.

🚫 Common Mistakes with Adverbs of Degree

Incorrect combinations of grading adverbs with non-gradable adjectives and vice versa can lead to awkward sentences.

❌ She is very unique.
✅ She is absolutely unique.

❌ The result is completely good.
✅ The result is very good.

❌ The weather is slightly perfect.
✅ The weather is absolutely perfect.

❌ The task is extremely impossible.
✅ The task is absolutely impossible.

❌ He is fairly brilliant.
✅ He is utterly brilliant.

❌ The building is very enormous.
✅ The building is absolutely enormous.

❌ The idea is slightly awful.
✅ The idea is completely awful.

❌ She is extremely dead in the movie.
✅ She is completely dead in the movie.

❌ The test was fairly excellent.
✅ The test was absolutely excellent.

❌ The glass is very empty.
✅ The glass is completely empty.