fairly special

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fairly special" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is somewhat unique or noteworthy, but not extremely so. Example: "The event was fairly special, as it marked the anniversary of our founding."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

It's fairly special".

The New York Times - Sports

I don't think I'm going to see that fighter, so I must have done something fairly special".

The Guardian - Sport

"Santa Monica is regarded as a fairly special place," says James Anderson, leader of Bloomberg's public sector innovation programmes, "but the idea is one that mayors everywhere are contending with.

The Guardian

In electric mode, however, you feel you're riding something fairly special, like a really fast super golf-cart or one of those chairs the fat humans rode in Wall-E.

TechCrunch

Venus-Jupiter conjunctions are fairly special events, occurring roughly every 13 months.

Huffington Post

Clearly, the curves of this form are fairly special, since they have to be contained in the bi-linear ruled surfaces that are generated by the linear interpolants of points and normals.

CAD Computer Aided Design

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Leaving aside Daniella Nardini in This Life, owing to her character's coke habit, and the fact that hers was a fairly special-interest, dominatrix appeal, Buffy is the only heroine to come out of mainstream telly in the past decade who is both sexy and awesomely competent.

The Guardian - Film

I could pick the game up and just start mashing buttons, watch the pretty special effects and do fairly well, and then, as I was ready, begin to pay attention to learning special moves and applying strategy.

The New York Times - Arts

There's evidence to suggest that dodging twice to start with will help avoid a hit or two, while some Pokémon have fairly weak special attacks, so choose your moves wisely.

The Guardian - Tech

William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave the film a B minus and wrote, "It's a decent enough stab at being what the old movie was to its time, following the same basic plot, full of respectful references to its model, updated with a gallery of fairly imaginative special effects".

Wikipedia

Mr. Cooper turned GQ from a fairly small special-interest magazine with a focus on fashion into a much broader general-interest magazine.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly special" to describe situations or objects that possess notable qualities without being exceptional. For example, "The handmade gift was fairly special, showing thoughtfulness and care."

Common error

Avoid using "fairly special" when the situation or object warrants a stronger descriptor like "extremely unique" or "absolutely extraordinary". "Fairly special" implies moderation, not superlatives.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly special" functions as an adjectival phrase that modifies a noun, indicating a quality that is above average but not outstanding. It suggests that something has unique characteristics, but within a moderate range. Examples from Ludwig demonstrate this in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fairly special" is a useful descriptor to express that something is somewhat unique or noteworthy. Ludwig AI analysis confirms that it is grammatically correct and serves to highlight moderately positive attributes. While "fairly special" may not be exceptionally common, it is employed across various contexts, notably in news, science, and general media. For situations requiring more emphasis, alternatives like "quite unique" or "rather remarkable" can be considered.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quite unique

Replaces "fairly" with "quite", emphasizing a moderate degree of uniqueness.

rather remarkable

Substitutes "special" with "remarkable" and "fairly" with "rather", suggesting a notable but not extraordinary quality.

somewhat exceptional

Replaces "fairly" with "somewhat" and "special" with "exceptional", indicating a degree of deviation from the norm.

moderately distinctive

Emphasizes the characteristic that sets something apart but to a limited extent.

noticeably different

Highlights the difference from the average, but not in a strong way.

unusually good

Focuses on the positive aspect, implying it's better than average but not superlative.

slightly extraordinary

Suggests a level beyond ordinary, but only to a slight extent.

kind of significant

Downplays the importance or relevance of something. Kind of indicates that is not totally significant.

pretty singular

Indicates something is unique and unusual by itself, pretty is an informal way to use fairly, somehow reducing the significance.

distinctively uncommon

Suggests a unique character, but not to a very high degree. Uncommon indicates that something is not common, but distinctive that something is still noticeable.

FAQs

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

You can use "fairly special" to describe something that is somewhat unique or noteworthy. For example, "The occasion was "fairly special" because it was their 50th wedding anniversary."

What are some alternatives to "fairly special"?

Alternatives include "quite unique", "rather remarkable", or "somewhat exceptional", depending on the context.

Is "fairly special" formal or informal?

"Fairly special" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although more formal situations might benefit from more precise language.

What does "fairly" mean in the context of "fairly special"?

In this context, "fairly" means to a moderate extent or degree. It indicates that something is somewhat, but not extremely, special.