1
as in extremely
to a great degree
that was a very brave thing to do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in really
in actual fact
the very same thing happened to me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in same
being one and not another
we stayed in the very hotel my parents stayed in for their honeymoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mere
being this and no more
the very thought of having to go through that again is scary
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in real
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
tourism is the very lifeblood of this community—the town would surely die without it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in simple
having no exceptions or restrictions
the very nerve of that woman—telling me how to raise my own children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of very
Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2025
Peters returns for the Manhattan Theatre Club’s fresh, surprising and very special Broadway production, following its run in Los Angeles.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
The resort, however, is on an incline, and the hot springs are at the very top of the hill.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for very
Adverb
Press very firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2025
Peters returns for the Manhattan Theatre Club’s fresh, surprising and very special Broadway production, following its run in Los Angeles.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
The resort, however, is on an incline, and the hot springs are at the very top of the hill.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for very
Recent Examples of Synonyms for very
Adverb
-
Though experts have maintained that aviation remains extremely safe, fatal incidents have raised concerns about flying.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Revel is extremely talented, but the Bills need a corner who can step in and be good to go from the beginning of the season.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Capponi also encourages celebrity entrepreneurs to really nail down understanding their supply chain.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The problem, says Grego, is that the Earth is really big, and satellites spin around it really fast.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Gabriel, a 5-11 quarterback with middling arm strength, will have a difficult time finding that same opportunity.—
Ben Standig,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That same year, István Hegedűs, a former politician who had served in parliament alongside Orbán, read an article in a pro-Fidesz newspaper which implied that only the Party’s generosity enabled C.E.U. to stay in Budapest.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
According to The Knot’s 2025 Real Weddings Study, a whopping 57% of couples begin discussing engagement over a year before a proposal and a mere 2% never discussed it.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Vogue,
20 Apr. 2025
-
More news: Lynch's significance within WWE transcends mere championship victories.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Washington has repeatedly threatened to abandon its peace efforts unless there is real progress.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The man who dethroned Rhodes, John Cena, took photos with guests during a kickoff party on WrestleMania Sunday just hours before Cena became WWE’s last real champion.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The simplest way, Studholme suggests, is to use one group of neutrals or a tone on tone graduation of the same color, such as Pigeon, Blue Gray, Muzzle and Cromarty from Farrow & Ball, for example.—
Ariel Okin,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Asked who’d buy these gold cards during an Oval Office meeting with reporters in February, Trump had a simple answer.—
Meehika Barua,
HubSpot,
18 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Within the first 100 days of his second administration President Donald Trump has been incredibly busy, implementing major changes from enacting tariffs to targeting diversity initiatives.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
The petite hamlet is truly one of a kind: Originally intended as a resort destination in the late 19th century, Eureka Springs later became a home for hippies and nonconformists seeking rural refuge in the 1970s.—
Nico Lang,
Them.,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The struggles of United and Spurs have been pored over for months, but West Ham’s truly dreadful campaign has gone under the radar.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Very.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/very. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share