Adverbs or adjectives: confusing cases

Adjectives ending in -ly: friendly, lively

Some words ending in -ly are adjectives, and not normally adverbs. Common examples: costly, cowardly, deadly, friendly, likely, lively, lonely, lovely, silly, ugly, unlikely.

• She gave me a friendly smile.
• Her singing was lovely.

There are no adverbs friendly/friendlily, lovely/lovelily, etc.

• She smiled in a friendly way. (not She smiled friendly.)
• He gave a silly laugh. (not He laughed silly.)

Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, early and leisurely are both adjectives and adverbs.

• It’s a daily paper.
• It comes out daily.
• an early train
• I got up early.

Adjectives and adverbs with the same form; adverbs with two forms

Some adjectives and adverbs have the same form: for example, a fast car goes fast; if you do hard work, you work hard. In other cases, the adverb may have two forms (e.g. late and lately), one like the adjective and the other with -ly. There is usually a difference of meaning or use. Some examples follow; for more detailed information, check in a good dictionary.

bloody

Some swear words, including bloody (BrE), can be used both as adjectives and as adverbs.

• ‘You bloody fool. You didn’t look where you were going.’ ‘I bloody did.’

clean

The adverb clean means ‘completely’ before forget (informal) and some expressions of movement.

• Sorry I didn’t turn up – I clean forgot.
• The explosion blew the cooker clean through the wall.

dead

The adverb dead is used in certain expressions to mean ‘exactly’, ‘completely’ or ‘very’. Examples: dead ahead, dead certain, dead drunk, dead right, dead slow, dead straight, dead sure, dead tired.

Note that deadly is an adjective, meaning ‘fatal’, ‘causing death’. The adverb for this meaning is fatally. Compare:

• Cyanide is a deadly poison.
• She was fatally injured in the crash.

direct

Direct is often used informally as an adverb.

• The plane goes direct from London to Houston without stopping.
• 50% cheaper – order direct from the factory!

easy

Easy is used as an adverb in some informal expressions.

• Go easy! (= Not too fast!)
• Easy come, easy go.
• Take it easy! (= Relax!)
• Easier said than done.

fair

Fair is used as an adverb after a verb in some expressions.

• to play fair
• to fight fair
• to hit/win something fair and square

note

For the adverb of degree fairly, (see here).

fast

Fast can mean both ‘quick’ and ‘quickly’ (a fast car goes fast). Fast means ‘completely’ in the expression fast asleep, and it means ‘tight’, ‘impossible to remove’ in expressions like hold fast, stick fast, fast colours.

fine

The adverb fine (= well) is used in some informal expressions.

• That suits me fine.
• You’re doing fine.

The adverb finely is used to talk about small careful adjustments and similar ideas.

• a finely tuned engine
• finely chopped onions (= cut up very small)

flat

Flat can be used as an adverb in a musical sense (to sing flat means ‘to sing on a note that is too low’). In most other cases, the adverb is flatly.

free

The adverb free (used after a verb) means ‘without payment’; freely means ‘without limit or restriction’. Compare:

• You can eat free in my restaurant whenever you like.
• You can speak freely – I won’t tell anyone what you say.

hard

The adverb hard means ‘with a lot of force, energetically’.

• Hit it hard.
• I trained really hard for the marathon.

Hardly means ‘almost not’.

• I’ve hardly got any clean clothes left.

Compare:

• Anna works hard.
• Her brother hardly works.

note

For hardly … when in clauses of time, (see here).

For hardly any, ever, etc, (see here).

high

High refers to height; highly (rather formal) expresses an extreme degree (it often means ‘very much’). Compare:

just

Just is an adverb with several meanings (see here). There is also an adjective just, meaning ‘in accordance with justice or the law’; the adverb is justly.

• He was justly punished for his crimes.

late

The adverb late has a similar meaning to the adjective late; lately means ‘recently’. Compare:

• I hate arriving late.
• I haven’t been to the theatre much lately.

loud

Loud is often used informally as an adverb after a verb.

• Don’t talk so loud(ly) – you’ll wake the whole street.

low

Low is an adjective and adverb (a low bridge, a low voice, bend low).

most

Most is the superlative of much, and is used to form superlative adjectives and adverbs (see here).

• Which part of the concert did you like most?
• This is the most extraordinary day of my life.

In a formal style, most can be used to mean ‘very’.

• You’re a most unusual person.

Mostly means ‘mainly’, ‘most often’ or ‘in most cases’.

• My friends are mostly non-smokers.

pretty

The informal adverb of degree pretty is similar to rather (see here). Prettily means ‘in a pretty way’. Compare:

• I’m getting pretty fed up.
• Isn’t your little girl dressed prettily?

quick

In an informal style, quick is often used instead of quickly, especially after verbs of movement.

• I’ll get back as quick(ly) as I can.

real

In informal American English, real is often used instead of really before adjectives and adverbs.

• That was real nice.
• He cooks real well.

right

Right with adverbials means ‘just’, ‘exactly’ or ‘all the way’.

• She arrived right after breakfast.
• The snowball hit me right on the nose.
• Turn the gas right down.

Right and rightly can both be used to mean ‘correctly’. Right is only used after verbs, and is usually informal. Compare:

• I rightly assumed that Henry was not coming.
• You guessed right.
• It serves you right. ( … rightly is not possible.)

sharp

Sharp can be used as an adverb to mean ‘punctually’.

• Can you be there at six o’clock sharp?

It also has a musical sense (to sing sharp means ‘to sing on a note that is too high’), and is used in the expressions turn sharp left and turn sharp right (meaning ‘with a big change of direction’).

In other senses the adverb is sharply.

• She looked at him sharply.
• I thought you spoke to her rather sharply.

short

Short is used as an adverb in the expressions stop short (= ‘stop suddenly’) and cut short (= ‘interrupt’). Shortly means ‘soon’; it can also describe an impatient way of speaking.

slow

Slow is used as an adverb in road signs (e.g. SLOW – DANGEROUS BEND), and informally after go and some other verbs. Examples: go slow, drive slow.

sound

Sound is used as an adverb in the expression sound asleep. In other cases, soundly is used (e.g. She’s sleeping soundly).

straight

The adverb and the adjective are the same. A straight road goes straight from one place to another.

sure

Sure is often used to mean ‘certainly’ in an informal style, especially in American English.

• ‘Can I borrow your tennis racket?’ ‘Sure.’

Surely (not) is used to express opinions or surprise (see here) for details).

• Surely house prices will stop rising soon!
• Surely you’re not going out in that old coat?

tight

After a verb, tight can be used instead of tightly, especially in an informal style. Typical expressions: hold tight, packed tight (compare tightly packed).

well

Well is an adverb corresponding to the adjective good (a good singer sings well). Well is also an adjective meaning ‘in good health’ (the opposite of ill). For details, (see here).

wide

The normal adverb is wide; widely suggests distance or separation. Compare:

• The door was wide open.
• She’s travelled widely.
• They have widely differing opinions.

Note also the expression wide awake (the opposite of fast asleep).

wrong

Wrong can be used informally instead of wrongly after a verb. Compare:

• I wrongly believed that you wanted to help me.
• You guessed wrong.

Comparatives and superlatives

Informal uses of adjective forms as adverbs are especially common with comparatives and superlatives.

• Can you drive a bit slower?
• Let’s see who can do it quickest.

American English

In informal American English, many other adjective forms can also be used as adverbs of manner.

• He looked at me real strange.
• Think positive.