An adverb of degree modifies an adjective, another adverb, or a verb to show the intensity or extent of what it modifies. English has dozens of adverbs of degree, from strong intensifiers like “very, extremely, absolutely” to moderators like “quite, rather, fairly,” and approximators like “almost, nearly, hardly”.
What Is an Adverb of Degree?
An adverb of degree is a word that modifies an adjective, another adverb, or a verb to show intensity, extent, or completeness. Common examples include “very, too, enough, extremely, quite, rather, almost,” and “absolutely”.
Adverbs of degree modify three kinds of words:
- Adjectives: very hot, extremely cold, quite ready
- Adverbs: too quickly, so slowly, almost always
- Verbs: I completely forgot. She barely noticed.
Removing an adverb of degree does not change the grammar of the sentence, only its meaning. “She is extremely tired” becomes “She is tired”: grammatical and complete, but weaker in intensity.
Common Adverbs of Degree in English
There are dozens of adverbs of degree in everyday English. The most frequent, grouped by strength:
- Strong intensifiers: absolutely, completely, entirely, extremely, fully, highly, so, thoroughly, totally, utterly, very
- Moderators: fairly, pretty, quite, rather, somewhat
- Approximators: almost, nearly, practically, virtually
- Downtoners: barely, hardly, scarcely, slightly
- Others: enough, too, just, only, still
Each of these five has different rules for position, register, and combination with adjectives.
Types of Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree are classified by function: whether they strengthen the meaning, weaken it, approximate it, or mark it as extreme.
Intensifiers
Intensifiers strengthen the meaning of the word they modify, adding force or emphasis without changing what the word denotes. The most common intensifiers in English are “very, extremely, so, really, absolutely,” and “completely”.
- She is extremely intelligent.
- The soup is very hot.
- I am so tired.
- The concert was absolutely fantastic.
Among these, “very” is the neutral intensifier and pairs with adjectives on a scale of degree, like hot, tired, or happy. When the adjective is already at one extreme of its scale, such as freezing, boiling, or exhausted, “very” becomes ungrammatical and the intensifier switches to “absolutely, completely,” or “totally”.
- Very cold. ✓
- Absolutely cold. ✗
- Absolutely freezing. ✓
- Very freezing. ✗
Moderators
Moderators pull intensity down rather than boost it, expressing a middle degree between a full intensifier like “very” and no modification at all. The most common moderators in English are “quite, rather, fairly,” and “pretty”.
- The film was quite good.
- It is rather cold today.
- She sings fairly well.
- The exam was pretty difficult.
Among these, “quite” is unusual because its meaning shifts across dialects. In British English, “quite” functions as a moderator, meaning “fairly” or “moderately.” In American English, it functions as an intensifier meaning “very,” close to the opposite.
- British English: The film was quite good, meaning fairly good, not excellent.
- American English: The film was quite good, meaning very good, close to excellent.
Downtoners
Downtoners go further than moderators and reduce intensity toward the low end of the scale. Where a moderator says “somewhat present,” a downtoner says “barely present at all.” The most common downtoners in English are “slightly, barely, hardly, scarcely,” and “a little”.
- I could barely hear her.
- She is slightly older than her brother.
- He hardly ever calls.
- I scarcely believe it.
Of these, “barely, hardly,” and “scarcely” express the strongest reduction, close to “almost not at all.” In practice, “He hardly ate anything” means he ate almost nothing.
Approximators
Approximators show that the quality or action is close to a full degree without quite reaching it. The most common approximators in English are “almost, nearly, practically,” and “virtually”.
- The bottle is almost empty.
- We nearly missed the train.
- She practically ran home.
- The task is virtually impossible.
Among these, “almost” and “nearly” are essentially interchangeable and cover most everyday cases. “Practically” and “virtually” go a step further, describing something even closer to the full degree.
Maximizers
Maximizers mark the top of the intensity scale, showing that the quality or action reaches its highest or full degree. Because they name the extreme, they combine only with ungradable adjectives and verbs of completion. The most common maximizers in English are “absolutely, completely, entirely, totally,” and “utterly”.
- She was absolutely thrilled.
- The situation is completely different.
- I entirely agree.
- We totally forgot about the meeting.
- The plan failed utterly.
For the same reason, maximizers do not combine with gradable adjectives. “Absolutely hot” fails because “hot” still has room on its scale; the correct forms are “boiling hot” (using the extreme adjective) or “very hot” (using the neutral intensifier).
Position of Adverbs of Degree
The position of an adverb of degree depends on two things: the word class it modifies and the specific adverb involved. The general rule is consistent, but two adverbs, “enough” and “too,” follow different patterns worth learning separately.
Position With Adjectives and Adverbs
When an adverb of degree modifies an adjective or another adverb, it comes directly before that word.
- She is extremely tall.
- He drives very fast.
- The room is quite dark.
- She sings really well.
In every case, the adverb and the word it modifies appear next to each other. Moving the adverb elsewhere either changes the meaning or breaks the sentence.
Position With Verbs
An adverb of degree that modifies a verb comes before the verb, or between the auxiliary and the main verb when one is present.
- I completely forgot about it.
- She has thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
- He barely knows her.
- They totally agree with you.
Two exceptions to this pattern are “much” and “a lot,” which come after the verb rather than before it.
- I like it very much.
- She has changed a lot.
Position of Enough
“Enough” is the biggest exception among adverbs of degree, and its position depends on what it modifies. When it modifies an adjective or another adverb, “enough” comes AFTER that word, not before.
- The room is big enough. ✓
- The room is enough big. ✗
- He speaks clearly enough. ✓
- He speaks enough clearly. ✗
With a noun, however, “enough” comes BEFORE the noun.
- I have enough money. ✓
- I have money enough. ✗
In either position, “enough” is commonly followed by “to” plus the infinitive to complete the meaning:
- She is old enough to vote.
- I have enough money to buy it.
- He was quick enough to answer.
Position of Too
Unlike “enough,” “too” follows the standard position rule and comes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. What makes it different is meaning: “too” signals that the quality is present to an excessive degree, more than acceptable.
- The tea is too hot.
- She spoke too quietly.
- The exam was too difficult.
When the excess connects to a specific consequence, “too” takes “to” plus the infinitive:
- The tea is too hot to drink.
- She was too tired to walk home.
- The box is too heavy for me to carry.
Gradable and Non-Gradable Adjectives With Degree Adverbs
Adjectives in English are divided into gradable and non-gradable. The distinction determines which adverbs of degree combine with them.
Gradable Adjectives
Gradable adjectives express qualities that exist on a scale, with words like “hot, cold, big, small, tired, happy” all showing degrees from a little to a lot. Because these adjectives can be more or less intense, they take degree adverbs that mark points on that scale. Common examples are “very, quite, rather, extremely, fairly,” and “somewhat.”
- Very hot ✓
- Quite tired ✓
- Extremely happy ✓
- Rather cold ✓
Non-Gradable Adjectives
Non-gradable adjectives express absolute qualities that do not exist on a scale in the same way. Words like “boiling, freezing, huge, tiny, exhausted, perfect” are already at one extreme, so a degree adverb cannot make them more so. Instead, they take intensifiers that mark that full or extreme end: “absolutely, completely, totally, utterly.”
- Absolutely boiling ✓
- Completely exhausted ✓
- Utterly ridiculous ✓
- Totally impossible ✓
Mixing the two produces ungrammatical or awkward English, because each set of intensifiers pairs with a specific adjective type.
- Very boiling ✗ (use “absolutely boiling”)
- Absolutely hot ✗ (use “very hot”)
- Extremely perfect ✗ (use “absolutely perfect”)
Common Confusions With Adverbs of Degree
There are four pairs that most commonly confuse learners of English.
Very vs Too
“Very” and “too” look similar in strength but differ in judgment. “Very” adds intensity without any negative meaning, while “too” implies excess: more than what is acceptable or needed.
- The soup is very hot. (a lot of heat, but drinkable)
- The soup is too hot. (excessive heat, cannot be drunk)
In practice, “very” states a fact and “too” signals a problem.
Quite vs Rather
“Quite” and “rather” both moderate intensity, but they express it with opposite emotional tones. “Quite” is neutral or positive, while “rather” is slightly negative or unexpected.
- The film was quite interesting. (mildly positive)
- The film was rather disappointing. (mildly negative)
- The exam was quite easy. (neutral)
- The exam was rather easy. (unexpectedly easy)
There is also a dialect twist: in American English, “quite” functions as an intensifier meaning “very,” the opposite of its British use as a moderator.
Fairly vs Pretty
The difference between “fairly” and “pretty” is register more than degree. “Fairly” is more formal and neutral, while “pretty” is informal and positive in tone.
- The essay is fairly good. (formal, moderate quality)
- The essay is pretty good. (informal, positive)
In both cases, the intensity is a middle degree, roughly equivalent to “quite” in British English.
So vs Such
“So” and “such” both express a high degree, but they attach to different word classes. “So” modifies adjectives and adverbs directly, while “such” modifies noun phrases, following the pattern “such” + “a/an” + adjective + noun.
- The soup is so hot. ✓
- The soup is such hot. ✗
- It is such a hot day. ✓
- It is so a hot day. ✗
The difference between them is grammatical, not semantic. The choice depends on the structure that follows, not on the strength of the meaning.
Common Errors Learners Make With Adverbs of Degree
There are six errors that most commonly recur when learners use adverbs of degree in English.
- Placing “enough” before the word it modifies. “The box is enough big” → “The box is big enough”. “Enough” comes after the adjective or adverb.
- Using “very” with non-gradable adjectives. “The soup is very boiling” → “The soup is absolutely boiling”. Non-gradable adjectives take absolute intensifiers, not “very”.
- Using “absolutely” with gradable adjectives. “She is absolutely happy” → “She is very happy”. Absolute intensifiers work only with non-gradable adjectives.
- Confusing “too” with “very”. “This job is too interesting” → “This job is very interesting” (unless the point is that the interest is a problem). “Too” implies excess.
- Wrong position of “enough” with nouns. “He has money enough” → “He has enough money”. “Enough” comes BEFORE nouns but AFTER adjectives and adverbs.
- Using two intensifiers together. “She is very extremely tired” → “She is extremely tired”. Only one intensifier per modifier.
FAQs
Q1. What is an adverb of degree?
An adverb of degree is a word that modifies an adjective, another adverb, or a verb to show intensity, extent, or completeness. The most common examples in English are “very, too, enough, extremely, quite, rather, almost,” and “absolutely”.
Q2. How many adverbs of degree are there in English?
English has more than fifty commonly used adverbs of degree, in five main types by function. Intensifiers strengthen meaning (“very, extremely”), moderators soften it (“quite, rather”), downtoners weaken it (“barely, hardly”), approximators bring it near a full degree (“almost, nearly”), and maximizers mark the highest degree (“absolutely, completely”).
Q3. What is the position of an adverb of degree in a sentence?
Most adverbs of degree come before the adjective, adverb, or verb they modify. “Enough” is the exception: it comes AFTER the adjective or adverb, but BEFORE a noun. “Very much” and “a lot” appear after the verb.
Q4. What is the difference between “very” and “too”?
“Very” adds intensity without a negative meaning: “The soup is very hot” describes the heat as high. “Too” implies excess: “The soup is too hot” means the heat is more than acceptable, so the soup cannot be drunk. “Very” states a fact; “too” signals a problem.
Q5. Why is “very perfect” or “absolutely hot” ungrammatical?
Some adverbs of degree combine only with gradable adjectives (words on a scale, like “hot, cold, tired”), and others combine only with non-gradable adjectives (words at one end of a scale, like “perfect, boiling, exhausted”). “Very” belongs to the gradable group; “absolutely” to the non-gradable group. Mixing them creates awkward or ungrammatical English.
Q6. Can an adverb of degree modify a verb?
Yes. Many adverbs of degree modify verbs directly: “I completely forgot”, “She barely knows him”, “They totally agree”. The adverb comes before the main verb or between the auxiliary and the main verb.
Q7. What is the difference between “quite” in British and American English?
In British English, “quite” is a moderator that means “fairly” or “moderately”: “quite good” is less than excellent. In American English, “quite” is an intensifier that means “very”: “quite good” is close to excellent. The context and register determine the intended meaning.
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