Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
very (adjective)1.
a) properly entitled to the name or designation - true the fierce hatred of a very woman J. M. Barrie
b) - actual real the very blood and bone of our grammar H. L. Smith †1972
c) - simple plain in very truth
2.
a) - exact precise the very heart of the city
b) exactly suitable or necessary - the very thing for the purpose
3.
a) - absolute utter the veriest fool alive
b) - unqualified sheer the very shame of it
4.
- used as an intensive especially to emphasize identity before my very eyes
5.
- mere bare the very thought terrified him
6.
being the same one - selfsame the very man I saw
7.
- special particular the very essence of truth is plainness and brightness John Milton same
1.
in actual fact - truly the very best store in town told the very same story
2.
to a high degree - exceedingly very hot didn't hurt very much
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
very (adjective)1.
being one and not another
SYNONIMS:
identical, selfsame, veryNEAR ANTONYMS:
differentiable, discriminable, disparate, dissimilar, distinct, distinctive, distinguishable, diverse, unalike, unlike, varied, various2.
being this and no more
SYNONIMS:
bare, veryRELATED WORDS:
absolute, all-out, arrant, out-and-out, outright, pure, sheer, simple, stark, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unmitigated, unqualified, utter; alone, lone, only, singular, sole, solitary, solo, unique3.
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
SYNONIMS:
concrete, de facto, effective, existent, factual, genuine, real, sure-enough, true, veryRELATED WORDS:
attested, authenticated, confirmed, demonstrated, established, proven, substantiated, valid, validated, verified; incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, inescapable, irrefutable, undeniable, unquestionable; believable, convincing, literal, realistic, unmistakable, verifiable; authentic, bona fide, real-life, real-world; absolute, certain, final, hard, objective, palpable, positive, substantial, tangible; authoritative, certifiable, certifiedNEAR ANTONYMS:
alleged, assumed, reputed, supposed; conceived, envisaged, envisioned, imagined, pictured, visualized; chimerical ( chimeric), fabled, fanciful, fictional, fictitious, illusory, legendary; fabricated, fake, imaginary, invented, made-up, make-believe, pretend, romantic; abstract, symbolic, unreal; virtual4.
having no exceptions or restrictions
SYNONIMS:
all-out, arrant, blank, blooming, bodacious, categorical ( categoric), clean, complete, consummate, cotton-picking, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, dreadful, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, veryRELATED WORDS:
authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable; constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting; extreme, unrestricted; confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate; extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrificNEAR ANTONYMS:
doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain1.
to a great degree
SYNONIMS:
achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly ( exceeding), extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous, mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, vitally, way, whacking, wicked, wildlyRELATED WORDS:
absolutely, altogether, completely, downright, entirely, flat-out, fully, positively, purely, radically, thoroughly, totally, utterly, wholly; deeply, profoundly; exceptionally, notably, remarkably; considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially; appreciably, discernibly, markedly, noticeably, obviously, palpably, plainly, visibly; abundantly, plentifully; astronomically, grandly, monstrously, monumentally; excessively, obscenely, overmuch; amazingly, astonishingly, staggeringlyNEAR ANTONYMS:
meagerly, scantily; barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely2.
in actual fact
SYNONIMS:
actually, authentically, certifiably, genuinely, really, truly, veritablyRELATED WORDS:
accurately, exactly, just, precisely, right, sharp, smack-dab, squarely; almost, nearly, practically, virtually; literally, positively, simplyNEAR ANTONYMS:
apparently, ostensibly, outwardly, plausibly, seemingly