fairly good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'fairly good' is correct and can be used in written English.
You could use this phrase to describe something that is better than average but not great. For example, "The movie wasn't great but it was fairly good."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Health conditions are fairly good.

Britannica

"Today, sales are fairly good.

The New York Times

That seems to be fairly good odds".

Independent

VALENTINO I am a fairly good spectator.

The New York Times

Nuclear power makes fairly good economic sense.

The Economist

But the (fairly) good times are over.

The Economist

The models offer fairly good predictive ability.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Also here fairly good correspondence is observed.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

A fairly good accuracy has been observed.

Electrochimica Acta

The results showed a fairly good agreement.

Advances in Space Research

"Actually, I was fairly good last night.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly good" to describe something that is better than average but not exceptional. It is suitable when a more enthusiastic endorsement is not warranted or accurate.

Common error

Avoid using "fairly good" when you truly mean something is excellent or outstanding. Choose stronger adjectives to accurately reflect a high level of quality or performance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly good" functions primarily as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. It serves to describe the quality or condition of something, indicating that it is above average but not outstanding. Ludwig AI confirms this through numerous examples across diverse sources.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

27%

News & Media

45%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fairly good" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to describe something that is better than average but not outstanding. According to Ludwig AI, it functions as an adjective phrase and is suitable for various contexts, including science, news, and academic writing. While alternatives like "very good" or "excellent" exist for stronger endorsements, "fairly good" provides a balanced and neutral assessment, making it a versatile choice for expressing moderate satisfaction or approval. Using stronger adjectives is needed when something is actually excellent and not "fairly good".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

moderately good

This alternative suggests a slightly more tempered level of goodness, indicating something is good but not exceptionally so.

somewhat good

Similar to "moderately good", this emphasizes a limited degree of goodness.

reasonably good

This indicates that something is good enough for a particular purpose or meets expectations without exceeding them.

quite good

This suggests a higher degree of goodness than "fairly good", indicating something is notably good.

relatively good

This implies that something is good in comparison to something else, setting a comparative standard.

passably good

This suggests that something is just good enough to be acceptable, implying a lower standard of quality.

adequately good

This indicates that something is good enough to meet requirements, without necessarily being exceptional.

decent enough

This phrase conveys a sense of satisfactory quality, suggesting something is acceptable without being outstanding.

serviceable

This implies that something is good enough to fulfill its intended purpose, often with a practical connotation.

satisfactory

This indicates that something meets the required standards or expectations, implying a level of contentment.

FAQs

How can I use "fairly good" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly good" to describe something that is above average but not excellent. For example, "The food at the restaurant was "fairly good", but the service was slow."

What's a more enthusiastic alternative to "fairly good"?

If you want to express stronger approval, consider using alternatives like "very good", "excellent", or "outstanding".

Which is correct, "fairly good" or "fairly well"?

"Fairly good" is typically used to describe something, while "fairly well" is often used to describe how something is done. For example, "The student did "fairly well" on the test" vs. "The student's score was "fairly good"."

What's the difference between "fairly good" and "pretty good"?

The phrases "fairly good" and "pretty good" are very similar in meaning and can often be used interchangeably to express that something is better than average but not exceptional. The choice often comes down to personal preference.