Look at these examples. 看下列例句：

• ◆The exam was fairly difficult. 这场考试颇难。
• ◆The exam was quite difficult. 这场考试相当难。
• ◆The exam was rather difficult. 这场考试十分难。
• Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in NAmE; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal BrE too. * quite 比 fairly 语气稍强，而 rather 又比 quite 语气稍强。在美式英语中，rather 不太常用。pretty 与 rather 含义相同，也用于非正式英式英语：◆The exam was pretty difficult. 这场考试十分难。
• In BrE quite has two meanings. 在英式英语中，quite 含义有二：◆I feel quite tired today(= fairly tired). 今天我感到相当累。With adjectives that describe an extreme state ('non-gradable' adjectives) it means 'completely' or 'absolutely'. 与表示极端状态的形容词（即非级差形容词）连用，意为完全地、绝对地：◆I feel quite exhausted. 我感到筋疲力尽。With some adjectives, both meanings are possible. The speaker's stress and intonation will show you which is meant. 与某些形容词连用，两种含义均有可能，究竟属于哪一种由说话者的重音和语调决定：◆Your essay is ˈquite good(= fairly good—it could be better). 你的文章还不错（挺好，不过可以更好）；◆Your essay is quite ˈgood(= very good, especially when this is unexpected). 你的文章简直太好了（非常好，尤指出乎意料）。
• In NAmE quite usually means something like 'very', not 'fairly' or 'rather'. Pretty is used instead for this sense. 在美式英语中，quite 通常为 very 之义，而非 fairly 或 rather。表示后一种意思用 pretty。