We use “very” a lot in English, but it can sound boring when you use it with an adjective. Here are 25 synonyms for very (+ adjective) that you can use to make your English more precise and interesting.

Synonyms for Very

very hot = boiling / baking
“It’s baking today, isn’t it!”

very cold = freezing
“It’s absolutely freezing outside.”

very wet = soaking / soaked
“We went out in the storm and got soaked!”

very dry = arid / parched
“It gets really arid here in summer.”

very interesting = fascinating
“This book is fascinating. You should read it.”

very important = crucial / vital
“His work as a medical researcher is crucial.”

very intelligent = brilliant
“She’s a brilliant lawyer.”

very easy = effortless
“He made the dance routine look effortless.”

very nice = lovely / wonderful
“We had a lovely holiday.”

very pretty = beautiful
“We stayed in a beautiful town.”

very neat = immaculate
“Her house is absolutely immaculate.”

very clean = spotless
“The hotel kitchen was spotless.”

very dirty = filthy / disgusting
“The restaurant bathroom was absolutely filthy.”

very hungry = famished / starving
“What’s for dinner? I’m starving!”

very good = excellent
“Her son got an excellent mark in his exam.”

very bad = awful / terrible
“I feel terrible. I think I ate something bad.”

very tired = exhausted
“They were exhausted after their journey.”

very sad = depressed
“She was depressed after losing her job.”

very happy = ecstatic / over the moon / overjoyed
“I was over the moon when I heard the news.”

very small = tiny
“Our house is tiny!”

very big = enormous / huge
“They have an enormous dog. He’s quite scary!”

very afraid = terrified / petrified
“When I felt the earthquake I was terrified.”

very angry = furious
“His teacher was furious with him.”

very old = ancient (a thing), elderly (a person)
“My car is absolutely ancient!”
“His parents are a little elderly.”

very funny = hilarious
“She told a hilarious story about her time as an au-pair.”

Remember: when you use a strong (or “extreme”) adjective like terrified, or enormous, you can’t also use “very”. Use an adverb like “absolutely” instead.

What other synonyms for very do you know? Let me know in the comments below.