Degree adverbs show how much, how strongly, or to what extent something happens or describes someone or something. They often modify adjectives, adverbs, and a few verbs. In She is very tired, very tells the strength of tired. In He speaks quite clearly, quite tells the degree of clearly. In I almost finished, almost shows how close the action came to completion. Without a degree adverb, the sentence still works, but the level of intensity, amount, or closeness is missing.

Some of the most common degree adverbs are very, really, quite, pretty, extremely, totally, absolutely, slightly, and mildly. They range from strong to weak. Extremely and absolutely express a high degree: extremely cold, absolutely certain. Very is strong and general: very useful. Quite and pretty are usually moderate: quite busy, pretty good. Slightly and mildly show a small degree: slightly damaged, mildly irritated. Totally often goes with full completion or full agreement: totally different, totally agree.

Frequent degree adverbs in everyday English

Word	Definition	Example
very	It means a high degree.	The soup is very hot.
really	It means a high degree and is common in informal speech.	She is really tired after work.
quite	It means fairly or very, depending on context.	The room is quite quiet.
pretty	It means fairly in casual speech.	The movie was pretty good.
extremely	It means to a very great degree.	He is extremely careful with money.
totally	It means completely.	I totally agree with you.
absolutely	It means completely and strongly.	That was absolutely perfect.
slightly	It means a small amount.	The water is slightly cold.
mildly	It means a little or not strongly.	She was mildly surprised.
fairly	It means to some degree.	The test was fairly easy.

Scramble

Degree adverbs usually come directly before the word they modify. With adjectives, the pattern is degree adverb + adjective: very happy, extremely important. With adverbs, the pattern is degree adverb + adverb: really slowly, quite carefully. In passive and perfect structures, the degree adverb usually appears before the auxiliary or before the main descriptive word it modifies, depending on meaning: She is very well known, They have completely finished, The room was incredibly clean. When the adverb modifies an adjective after a linking verb, it stays before the adjective: The soup is too hot.

Position of degree adverbs in sentences

Example	Pattern
The coffee is very strong.	Place a degree adverb before an adjective when it describes that adjective.
She speaks very clearly.	Place a degree adverb before another adverb when it modifies the adverb.
The work has really improved.	Place a degree adverb before the auxiliary in perfect and passive forms.
He seems quite relaxed today.	Place a degree adverb before the main adjective in descriptive statements.

Very gives a strong, direct degree. It fits natural descriptive phrases such as very cold, very quickly, and very small. Quite is usually weaker than very, especially in British English, and often means something like moderately or fairly: quite nice, quite tired. Pretty is common in everyday speech in some varieties of English, especially American English, and often means fairly or rather: pretty good, pretty hard. In different regions, quite and pretty can sound stronger or weaker, so the exact force depends on the speaker and situation.

Regional strength patterns for common degree adverbs

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
British English	quite	It often means fairly strong and can be stronger than learners expect.	The film was quite good.
American English	pretty	It often means fairly and sounds natural in casual speech.	The pizza is pretty good.
British English	very	It usually means a strong degree and works in both formal and informal speech.	The answer is very important.

Scramble

Really can work like very: really tired, really slowly, really expensive. It also adds emphasis in speech, especially when the speaker wants to show strong feeling, surprise, or personal reaction. In I really need a break, it intensifies the need. In That is really clever, it shows admiration. In Really? it can show surprise or disbelief. The placement stays the same before the adjective or adverb, but the feeling behind it changes with context and tone.

Different everyday uses of really

Usage	Explanation	Example
Strong degree	Use really to mean very in everyday speech.	I am really happy to see you.
Extra emphasis	Use really to make your statement sound stronger.	That was really kind of you.
Surprise or reaction	Use really to show surprise or interest in conversation.	You met the singer? Really

Too means more than enough or excessively. It often creates a negative idea because something goes beyond a useful or comfortable limit. Use too + adjective or adverb: too cold, too quickly, too noisy. A common pattern adds to + base verb when there is a result or possible action: too tired to drive, too late to call. Fixed expressions also use this form: too bad expresses regret, and too late shows that the useful time has passed. The meaning is not just strong, but excessive for the situation.

Excessive meaning with too

Usage	Explanation	Example
Too much degree	Use too before an adjective or adverb when the amount is more than enough.	The bag is too heavy.
Unwanted result	Use too to show that something is not acceptable because it is excessive.	The music is too loud for me.
Fixed expression	Use too bad to mean that is unfortunate.	You missed the bus, too bad.
Time limit	Use too late to mean after the useful time has passed.	We arrived too late to buy tickets.

With adjectives, enough means sufficient and usually comes after the adjective: warm enough, old enough, clear enough. The pattern is adjective + enough + to + verb when an action follows: strong enough to lift it, calm enough to answer. A noun can also come before enough: enough money, enough time. In that case, enough comes before the noun and shows quantity. When it follows an adjective, it measures whether the quality reaches the needed level.

Enough with adjectives and nouns

Example	Pattern
The box is big enough.	Use enough after an adjective when you say something is sufficient.
We have enough water.	Use enough before a noun when it modifies that noun.
They earned money enough to travel.	Use enough after a noun in the pattern noun plus enough plus adjective.

Many strong adjectives already carry a high degree, so they do not need extra degree adverbs. Excellent, perfect, huge, terrible, and tiny are already intense, so phrases like very excellent or extremely perfect often sound unnatural. Simpler wording is usually better: excellent, not very excellent; huge, not really huge unless the speaker wants extra emphasis. When a degree adverb does not add useful meaning, leave it out and let the adjective do the work.