fairly well

USAGE SUMMARY

"fairly well" is a perfectly correct and acceptable phrase to use in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something has not been done perfectly, but is still satisfactory. For example, "She sang the song fairly well."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

It's fairly well leased.

The New York Times

Operationally, Anglo did fairly well.

The Economist

Demobilisation has gone fairly well.

The Economist

I can dance fairly well.

The New York Times

"They did fairly well, actually".

The New York Times - Magazine

It's worked out fairly well.

The New York Times

are now fairly well again.

Princeton University

We started off fairly well.

The New York Times - Sports

She can walk fairly well.

The New York Times

The juice freezes fairly well.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Thanksgiving is usually fairly well-coordinated.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly well" to express moderate satisfaction or competence, especially when setting expectations or providing balanced feedback. For example, instead of saying someone is "good" at something, you can say they performed "fairly well" to indicate there's room for improvement.

Common error

While "fairly well" is acceptable in many situations, be mindful of overusing it in formal writing. In professional reports or academic papers, consider using more precise language to convey the exact degree of success or competence. For example, use phrases such as "moderately successful" or "reasonably effective" for greater clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly well" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate the degree or manner in which an action is performed or a state exists. Ludwig examples show its use to describe performance and known information.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "fairly well" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to indicate a moderate level of satisfaction or competence. According to Ludwig, it functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs or adjectives. Its usage is primarily neutral, appearing frequently in news and media sources. When aiming for more precise or formal language, alternatives like "reasonably good" or "moderately successful" can be considered. While "fairly well" is appropriate in various contexts, be mindful of its overuse, especially in highly formal or professional settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reasonably good

Indicates a similar level of satisfactoriness, focusing on the quality of being good enough.

quite good

Emphasizes a slightly higher degree of satisfaction or competence compared to "fairly well".

moderately successful

Shifts the focus to the outcome or achievement, implying a limited but noticeable success.

adequately

A single-word adverb that conveys a basic level of sufficiency without excess.

passably

Implies a minimal level of acceptability, suggesting something is just good enough to pass scrutiny.

acceptably

Indicates that something meets the minimum requirements or standards, though perhaps not exceeding them.

sufficiently

Highlights that something is enough for a particular purpose or need.

to a fair extent

Expresses that something is true or correct to a limited but noticeable degree.

with moderate success

Suggests a level of achievement that is neither outstanding nor poor, but somewhere in between.

on the right track

Indicates progress in a satisfactory direction, suggesting things are advancing as expected.

FAQs

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

You can use "fairly well" to describe something that is done to a satisfactory degree but not perfectly. For example, "She played the piano "fairly well" at the concert", or "The project is progressing "fairly well" despite the challenges".

What are some alternatives to saying "fairly well"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "reasonably good", "moderately successful", or "acceptably" instead of ""fairly well"".

Is it correct to say "fairly good" instead of "fairly well"?

While "fairly good" is also acceptable, "fairly well" is generally preferred when describing how something is done, especially with verbs. "Fairly good" is more often used to describe the state or quality of something. For example, "The food was "fairly good"", but "He performed "fairly well"".

What does "fairly well" imply about the quality of something?

"Fairly well" implies that something is above average but not exceptional. It suggests a moderate degree of success, competence, or satisfaction. It indicates that things are generally positive but with room for improvement.