fairly small

USAGE SUMMARY

"fairly small" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to describe an object, person, or thing that is not particularly small, but not particularly large either. For example, "The apartment was fairly small, but cozy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They're fairly small, and of course you can't feel them.

The New York Times

Lyman is fairly small.

Stanford University

It is still fairly small.

The Economist

It's fairly small in scale.

Yale University

fairly small (of order 100).

University of California, Berkeley

I am also fairly small.

The Guardian

Yet these are fairly small numbers.

The Economist

Economically, most estimates are fairly small.

Columbia University

We're a fairly small cohort of 11.

Stanford University

These are all fairly small molecules.

Yale University

But the shifts have been fairly small.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly small" to indicate that something is more small than large, but not extremely so. It's useful when you want to avoid extremes in description.

Common error

While "fairly small" is a useful phrase, avoid overusing it in your writing. Vary your descriptions with synonyms like "moderately small" or "somewhat small" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly small" functions as a pre-modifying adjective phrase. It modifies a noun to indicate a moderate degree of smallness. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is both grammatically correct and usable in a variety of contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Academia

29%

Science

11%

Less common in

Wiki

9%

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fairly small" is a versatile adjective phrase used to describe something that is moderately small. According to Ludwig AI, it's a grammatically sound and commonly used expression. Its frequent appearance in diverse sources such as News & Media, Academia, and Science demonstrates its broad applicability. When using "fairly small", remember to consider the context to ensure it accurately reflects the intended meaning, and avoid overuse by incorporating synonyms like "moderately small" or "somewhat small" for richer descriptions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Moderately small

Replaces "fairly" with "moderately", indicating a similar degree of smallness.

Somewhat small

Replaces "fairly" with "somewhat", conveying a slightly less precise degree of smallness.

Reasonably small

Replaces "fairly" with "reasonably", suggesting that the size is within acceptable limits of smallness.

Comparatively small

Adds a comparative aspect, implying smallness relative to something else.

Relatively small

Similar to "comparatively small", indicating smallness in relation to a reference point.

Slightly small

Indicates a minimal degree of smallness.

A bit small

An informal way to express that something is somewhat small.

Not very large

Expresses the idea of smallness by negating largeness.

On the smaller side

Suggests that something is positioned towards the smaller end of a spectrum.

Of limited size

Focuses on the limited extent of the object's dimensions.

FAQs

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

"Fairly small" is used to describe something that is more small than large, but not extremely small. For example, "The apartment was "fairly small", but it had a great view."

What's a more formal way to say "fairly small"?

In more formal contexts, you could use phrases like "moderately small" or "comparatively small" to maintain a professional tone.

Is "fairly small" subjective? Does it depend on context?

Yes, the interpretation of "fairly small" can be subjective and depend on the context. What's "fairly small" for a house might be quite large for a phone.

Which is correct: "fairly small" or "small fairly"?

"Fairly small" is the correct and standard order. "Small fairly" is not grammatically correct in English.