Adverbs of Degree with definition and Example Sentences

What Are Adverbs of Degree?

Adverbs of degree describe how much or to what extent something happens. They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by indicating intensity or degree. These adverbs help us express different levels of emphasis in sentences. Words like very, quite, almost, too, and enough are common examples.

Example Sentence:

• She is very tired. (Here, the adjective tired is very modified to show the extent of her tiredness.)

Adverbs of Degree with Example Sentences

Adverb	Example
Very	He is very happy.
Too	The coffee is too hot.
Quite	She is quite talented.
Almost	He almost won the race.
Enough	She is strong enough to lift it.
So	The book is so interesting.
Extremely	The movie was extremely boring.
Fairly	The test was fairly easy.
Rather	It’s rather cold today.

How to Use Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree are typically placed before the word they modify, whether it’s a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. However, some adverbs (like enough) come after the word they modify.

Modifying Verbs

When an adverb of degree modifies a verb, it tells us how much the action is being done.

Example Sentences:

• He completely understands the problem.
• I hardly know him.

Modifying Adjectives

When an adverb of degree modifies an adjective, it describes the extent of the adjective’s quality.

Example Sentences:

• The movie was quite good.
• She is extremely smart.

Here, the adverbs quite and extremely provide information about how good the movie is and how smart she is.

Modifying Other Adverbs

When adverbs of degree modify other adverbs, they indicate the intensity of the adverb they modify.

Example Sentences:

• He speaks very clearly.
• She runs too quickly.

In these sentences, very and too intensify the adverbs clearly and quickly.

Degrees of Intensity

Intensity Level	Adverbs of Degree	Example Sentences
Strong	Extremely, Completely, Absolutely	She is extremely happy.
Medium	Quite, Rather, Fairly	He is quite tired after work.
Weak	Slightly, A little, Somewhat	The soup is slightly salty.

Strong Intensity

Strong adverbs of degree convey a high level of intensity. For instance, extremely and absolutely are used when we want to emphasize a large degree of something.

Example Sentences:

• She was absolutely amazed by the performance.
• The weather is completely unpredictable.

Medium Intensity

Medium-intensity adverbs, like fairly and quite, express a moderate amount of emphasis.

Example Sentences:

• The exam was quite difficult.
• The lecture was rather interesting.

Weak Intensity

Adverbs of weak intensity, like slightly or a little, express a minimal degree of something.

Example Sentences:

• The water is slightly warm.
• He is somewhat nervous before the interview.

Placement of Adverbs of Degree

• Before adjectives/adverbs: Most adverbs of degree are placed before adjectives or adverbs.

Example:

• He is very confident.
• Before or after verbs: Some adverbs of degree can be placed after the main verb.

Example:

• She completely agrees with the plan.
• He worked hard enough to succeed.

Negative and Positive Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree can also express positive or negative connotations depending on the context.

Positive Adverb of Degree

• She sings very well.
• He is quite an accomplished writer.

Negative Adverb of Degree

• He’s too tired to continue.
• The meeting was hardly productive.

Advanced Uses of Adverb of Degree

As you become more advanced in English, you may encounter adverbs of degree used in complex sentences, such as conditional or comparative structures.

In Comparisons

Adverb of degree are often used in comparative sentences to emphasize the extent of difference.

Example Sentences:

• She is far more experienced than I am.
• He works much harder than his colleagues.

In Conditional Sentences

In conditional sentences, the adverb of degree helps express the likelihood or intensity of the result.

Example Sentence:

• If you study enough, you will pass the exam.

List of Adverbs of degree

• Very
• Too
• Quite
• Almost
• Enough
• So
• Extremely
• Fairly
• Rather
• Hardly
• Slightly
• Totally
• Completely
• Barely
• Absolutely
• Just
• Nearly
• Somewhat
• Scarcely
• A little
• Utterly
• Thoroughly
• Entirely
• Deeply
• Greatly

Degree Adverb Example Sentences

#	Example Sentence
1	She is very tired today.
2	The coffee is too hot to drink.
3	He runs quite fast.
4	I almost missed the bus.
5	That’s enough food for everyone.
6	It’s so cold outside.
7	She is extremely excited.
8	The cake is almost ready.
9	He is fairly good at playing chess.
10	The house is completely clean.
11	She works very hard.
12	He is too tired to continue.
13	The movie was quite boring.
14	The bag is too heavy for me.
15	I’m slightly hungry.
16	The answer was completely wrong.
17	He is barely awake.
18	She is utterly confused.
19	The story is very interesting.
20	He hardly studies for exams.

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Also Read:

• Types of Adverbs in English
• Adverb of Time Made Easy 
• Zero Conditional Explained with Simple Rules, Examples, and Uses
• What are Prepositions of Place? Usage and Worksheet
• Mastering Adverbs of Frequency | Examples, Usage, Worksheets