Varied vs. Various

Question

VariedVariousWhat are the differences between these two adjectives? I have not been able to fathom out what the actual difference is. Hard as I tried to work that out, I can't help myself thinking that those two aforementioned are just equal in meaning. Anyway, I may be misleaded by my monolingual translator that arouses my doubts.Thank you very much in advance.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I'm inclined to use "varied" as a verb or verbal much more often than as an adjective.
To my ear, when you use it as an adjective, you imply that an action has taken place.
That is, someone varied something to produce the "varied" results.

With "various," a group of things simply are various. We're not concerned with how that came about.

His efforts produced varied (mixed) results. (some good, some bad)

She showed me a collection of various styles of handbags. ("Varied" doesn't work here.)

Edit. As an aside, the past participle of "mislead" is "misled."

Also, we use "sort out," and "figure out," but I've never heard "fathom out." It's simply "I can't fathom the actual difference." (I may be wrong. It may be possible.)

Happy New Year! - A.

Canadian45 · Answer

MaroldVariedVariousWhat are the differences between these two adjectives? I have not been able to fathom out what the actual difference is. Hard as I tried to work that out, I can't help myself thinking that those two aforementioned are just equal in meaning. no They definitely have similarities, but they are not equal in meaning and are often not interchangeable.

"various" has two main meanings.
1) of different kinds
2) more than just one or two
'We have various desserts for you to choose from.' (carries both of the above meanings)
'There are various ways to solve the problem.' (as above)

"varied" also is only used when there are more than just one or two, but it's main meaning is to emphasize the fact that the differences between the things being referred to are significant, not small.

from the references below...

My routine is varied enough that I don't get bored.
She studies subjects as varied as chemistry and sculptuure.
"various" is not suitable in the above sentences.

"He has lived in places as various as New York and Beijing." I would only use 'varied" here!' (as in the sentences just above)

other differences...
a more varied selection

a more various selection

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/various
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/varied

That's a start. You can ask some questions about specific sentences or uses and about what I wrote.
(written over a long period of time and before I saw Avangi's response, and I ignored the use of "varied" as a verb)

Avangi · Answer

canadian45"various" has two main meanings.1) of different kinds 2) more than just one or two

Hi canadian,
Thanks for sending me to the dictionary on this. I was unaware of the second meaning! (My volume says "more than one," BTW.)
I was also surprised at "He spoke to various of the members." (And that in an American dictionary!)

Happy New Year! - A.

Canadian45 · Answer

AvangiHi canadian,
Thanks for sending me to the dictionary on this. I was unaware of the second meaning! (My volume says "more than one," BTW.) The dictionary I referenced says that too. But I can't imagine many people saying "various" for just two of something, so I changed the meaning to what I think is more correct.
I was also surprised at "He spoke to various of the members." (And that in an American dictionary!) I didn't see that. I can't say that it is definitely wrong, but 'several' is much more likely.
Happy New Year! - A. Thanks, and the same to you.

Marold · Answer

Thank you both Avangi and canadian45!

"Tents come in various/varied shapes and sizes."

"There are various/varied ways of doing this."

What about these sentences, for example? Could you please justify the usage of each adjective in those two sentences?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Avangi · Answer

Marold"Tents come in various/varied shapes and sizes."

"There are various/varied ways of doing this."

"Various" is the correct choice in both of these sentences. "Varied" would not be natural.

There are a variety of ways.
There are a variety of shapes.

If you read through this thread, you will find very little by way of "justifying principles."

Marold · Answer

Thank you a lot, Avangi! <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Varied vs. Various

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