FAIRLY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

fairly

adverb

ˈfer-lē

Definition of fairly

as in pretty

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in legally

according to the rules or the law had acquired the land fairly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in almost

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

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 fairly Daffodil bulbs are fairly inexpensive – why not try or add some this year? — Dr. Matthew Lisy, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 Stop putting your finger on the scale and do your job fairly. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 To allow a smaller city to be compared more fairly with a much larger one like New York, researchers adjusted the search totals for population. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2026 The light source is a tri-color laser, rated at a fairly typical 25,000 hours. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fairly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fairly

Adverb

Bell’s effectiveness was pretty representative of the offense as a whole which, despite Achane’s absence, finished with 321 total yards, roughly 13 less than the Chiefs.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
The Mini is much cheaper, and pretty mighty given its weight and size.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of pretty

Adverb

The White House announced the cuts through a legally nebulous ‘pocket rescission’ just five days before the fiscal year ends.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
The murder weapon is of course important evidence, but legally it’s not required to get a guilty verdict.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of legally

Adverb

Season three of Nobody Wants This is almost upon us, and Lupe has been making her rounds from New York Fashion Week to the red carpet, including while wearing a pair of these exact Talbot jeans.

— Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
More importantly, bonds are also almost certainly bigger than the traditional banking system—and probably crossed that mark sometime in the past decade, for the first time since both were invented a millennium ago.

— Robin Wigglesworth, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of almost

Adverb

Some say the possibility of being slapped with the fees is a factor in buyers’ waning interest in condos, which have long been a relatively affordable option, at the same time that construction of new condos has continued to lag across the state.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Back in 1964, even a relatively enlightened critic like Robert Shelton, who played a pivotal role in introducing Bob Dylan to a national audience three years before, was a Beatles skeptic.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of relatively

Adverb

Wellbeing Butlers are at your beck and call to arrange reiki, gratifyingly strong massages in open air, cleansing Balinese ceremonies at the resort temple, or sunrise qi gong on the practically private sand.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Flats are a fashion staple that can be worn in practically every season (especially in the South).

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of practically

Adverb

But centering a nearly dead Cathy Ames (Florence Pugh) is Kazan’s entire intention with this project, and snagging us with the image of her bloody body crawling toward the Trasks’ farmhouse is a tip of the hand toward where East of Eden is going.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Michael Poore is a nearly 40-year veteran of public education and the former superintendent of the Little Rock and Bentonville school districts.

— Michael Poore Special to the Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of nearly

Adverb

Twelve AGs led by Rob Bonta of California had been moving the antitrust trust case forward with a trial date set for March before the sides came together rather suddenly over the course of a few days.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Your neighbor merely moved up the timeline in a rather inept way.

— Judith Martin, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of rather

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fairly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fairly. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fairly

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tittle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes