fair
/feə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Just and impartial; free from bias or favoritism: Conforming to established rules or standards, ensuring equal treatment.
- Moderately good or acceptable; adequate: Of a quality that is neither excellent nor poor, but satisfactory.
- Pleasant and clear (of weather): Free from rain, storms, or significant cloud cover.
- Light in color (of hair or skin): Having a pale or light-colored complexion or hair.
- Attractive or beautiful (archaic or literary, especially for a woman): Pleasing in appearance.
Noun:
- A gathering for entertainment and commerce: An event, often temporary, with stalls for buying and selling goods, amusements, and exhibitions.
- An exhibition, especially to showcase products or promote industry: A competitive event or trade show for displaying goods, livestock, or crafts.
Adverb:
- In a just and honest manner: Without cheating or breaking the rules.
- Directly or squarely (archaic): In a straight or direct manner.
Verb:
- To make smooth, even, or blend surfaces (rare): To join or adjust so that surfaces are level and continuous.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- The referee made a fair decision. (The referee's judgment was impartial.)
- She has fair hair and blue eyes. (Her hair is light-colored.)
- We hope for fair weather for the picnic. (We hope for clear, pleasant weather.)
- His work is of fair quality. (His work is of acceptable, average quality.)
Noun:
- We bought homemade jam at the county fair. (We purchased jam at a local exhibition and market.)
- The book fair attracts publishers from around the world. (The exhibition for books draws international publishers.)
Adverb:
- You must play fair. (You must compete honestly and by the rules.)
- The ball hit him fair in the chest. (archaic) (The ball struck him directly on the chest.)
Verb:
- The carpenter faired the joints of the wooden panel. (The carpenter smoothed and blended the joints.)
Advanced Usage
"Fair and square": Honestly and straightforwardly, without any deception.
- He won the game fair and square. (He won the game honestly and by the rules.)
"To be fair": Used to introduce a mitigating or balancing statement in an argument.
- He was late, but to be fair, the traffic was terrible. (This phrase introduces an excuse for his lateness.)
"Fair enough": An expression of agreement, acceptance, or concession that something is reasonable.
- "I can't come tonight." "Fair enough, we'll do it another time." (This shows acceptance of the statement.)
"A fair shake": Just or equal treatment; a fair opportunity.
- Everyone deserves a fair shake at the job interview. (Everyone deserves an equal and just chance.)
Variants and Related Words
Fairly (adverb): In a fair manner; justly. Also used to mean "to a moderate degree" or "quite."
- The manager treated all employees fairly. (The manager acted justly.)
- It's fairly easy to understand. (It is quite easy to understand.)
Fairness (noun): The quality of being fair; impartiality and justice.
- The principle of fairness is important in law. (The principle of justice is crucial.)
Fair-haired (adjective): Having light-colored hair.
- The fair-haired boy stood out in the crowd. (The boy with light hair was noticeable.)
Fairway (noun): In golf, the mowed area between the tee and the green. (This is a distinct compound noun, not a direct variant of the adjective "fair".)
Synonyms
- Adjective (Just): Impartial, unbiased, equitable, just.
- Adjective (Adequate): Acceptable, satisfactory, decent, reasonable.
- Adjective (Clear weather): Fine, clear, bright, sunny.
- Noun (Event): Exhibition, show, bazaar, market.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases
Fair off/up (verb, chiefly US): Of weather, to become clear and pleasant.
- It's starting to fair off; the sun is coming out. (The weather is clearing up.)
Hold a fair: To organize or have a fair event.
- The town holds a fair every autumn. (The town organizes a fair annually.)
Related Idioms
All's fair in love and war: In intense competitive situations, any action is acceptable.
- He stole my client, but he says all's fair in love and war. (He justifies his ruthless action.)
Fair-weather friend: A person who is only a friend in good times and abandons you in difficulty.
- When I lost my job, I found out who my fair-weather friends were. (I discovered who were not true friends.)
By fair means or foul: Using any method possible, whether honest or dishonest.
- He was determined to win the contract by fair means or foul. (He was resolved to win using any tactic.)
Adjective
- (used of hair or skin) pale or light-colored;
- a fair complexion
- free of clouds or rain
- today will be fair and warm
- gained or earned without cheating or stealing
- an honest wage
- an fair penny
- (of a manuscript) having few alterations or corrections
- fair copy
- a clean manuscript
- attractively feminine
- the fair sex
- lacking exceptional quality or ability
- a novel of average merit
- only a fair performance of the sonata
- in fair health
- the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average
- the performance was middling at best
- (of a baseball) hit between the foul lines
- he hit a fair ball over the third base bag
- very pleasing to the eye
- my bonny lass
- there's a bonny bay beyond
- a comely face
- young fair maidens
- not excessive or extreme
- a fairish income
- reasonable prices
- free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
- a fair referee
- fair deal
- on a fair footing
- a fair fight
- by fair means or foul
Noun
- a sale of miscellany; often for charity
- the church bazaar
- a competitive exhibition of farm products
- she won a blue ribbon for her baking at the county fair
- gathering of producers to promote business
- world fair
- trade fair
- book fair
- a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.
Adverb
- without favoring one party, in a fair evenhanded manner
- deal fairly with one another
- in conformity with the rules or laws and without fraud or cheating
- they played fairly
Verb
- join so that the external surfaces blend smoothly