drygt

Drygt is a Swedish adverb and adjective used in several related senses, most commonly to indicate a quantity slightly above a round number or to mean "fairly" or "rather." As an adverb it frequently appears before numerals (e.g., drygt 100 meaning "just over 100") and in qualitative contexts to modify adjectives or verbs (e.g., drygt trött meaning "quite tired" or "a bit more than tired"). The adjective form dryg can describe something substantial, long-lasting, or onerous.

Usage varies by context: when paired with numbers, drygt normally signals a small excess rather than a rough estimate (contrast with ungefär or cirka, which mean "approximately"). In colloquial speech dryg may also carry negative connotations, describing a person as pompous or tiresome. The word is common in both spoken and written Swedish and appears across dialects.

Etymologically drygt derives from Old Norse drjúgr, with senses related to duration, abundance, or heaviness. Cognates exist in other North Germanic languages, such as Norwegian dryg. Non-Swedish speakers should be aware that drygt is not related to the English word "dry"; meanings and uses differ.

Related forms include the comparative and superlative of dryg in adjectival use and the adverbial drygt for quantity and degree. Synonyms depend on sense: for approximation, cirka or ungefär; for degree, ganska or rätt.