Quite / pretty / rather / fairly

Quite, pretty, rather, fairly go before an adjective or adverb to mean “to some degree” — usually less than very but more than a little. Each word has its own feeling:

• Hue is quite quiet at night.

• Our new flat is pretty small, but it's cheap.

• I'm fairly sure the shop opens at nine.

• The bus was rather slow this morning.

💡Many languages have one word for all four. To be safe: in everyday speech use pretty or quite; to criticise gently use rather or a bit; and to praise warmly say really good — in British English quite good can sound like “just OK”.

1. Quite = fairly — with ordinary adjectives (good, big, interesting, often…). In British English this is weaker than very, and your voice matters: stressing “quite” sounds less enthusiastic. In American English, quite usually sounds strong, close to very.

• The story is quite interesting.

  BrE: fairly interesting; AmE: very interesting

• We see each other quite often.

2. Quite = completely — with “absolute” adjectives such as sure, right, true, clear, different, certain, impossible, amazing. This meaning is the same in British and American English.

• You're quite right — we should leave now.

• Life in the city is quite different from life in my village.

Not quite = not completely. “I don't quite understand” is a polite way to say you haven't understood.

• I'm not quite ready. Give me five minutes.

• Sorry, I don't quite understand the question.

With a/an + adjective + noun, quite usually goes before a/an, while pretty and fairly go after it. Rather can go in either place.

Quite (but not pretty) is also used in these ways:

• quite a + noun (no adjective) = a big or unusual one: It was quite a surprise.
• quite a lot (of) and quite a few = a fairly large number or amount: There were quite a few people at the party.
• quite + like / enjoy = like it, but not very much (British English): I quite like jazz, but it's not my favourite.
• quite + agree = agree completely: I quite agree — it's too expensive.

Rather often goes with negative ideas: rather cold, rather expensive, rather boring (quite is also possible here). With a positive idea, rather means “better than I expected”.

Only rather (not quite, pretty or fairly) goes directly with a comparative or too: rather better, rather more expensive, rather too fast. With comparatives you can also use a bit / much / a lot — see the lesson “Comparative + much / a bit / far”.

• I didn't expect much, but the film was rather good.

• This laptop is rather faster than my old one.

• The taxi driver was going rather too fast.

Fairly is the weakest: fairly good = OK, not really good. It is mostly used for neutral or mildly positive ideas.

• My English is fairly good, but I still make mistakes.

💡Don't confuse this with would rather (= prefer): I'd rather stay home tonight. That is a different structure — see the lesson “Would rather / had better”.

• ✗It was pretty a good film.

  ✓It was a pretty good film.

  pretty goes after a/an.

• ✗We live in a quite old house.

  ✓We live in quite an old house.

  quite usually goes before a/an.

• ✗Today is fairly hotter than yesterday.

  ✓Today is rather hotter than yesterday. / Today is a bit hotter than yesterday.

  fairly is not used with comparatives.

• ✗Sorry, I don't pretty understand.

  ✓Sorry, I don't quite understand.

  not quite = not completely; pretty isn't used with verbs like this.

• ✗There were quite lot of people.

  ✓There were quite a lot of people.

  The fixed phrase is quite a lot of.