merely

adverb

mere·​ly ˈmir-lē 

: nothing more than : only

was merely trying to help

… no boy wanted to be on record as considering a girl a major fox only to discover that she considered him merely cool.

—Richard Russo

Not merely decorative, the crisscrossing slats and fins variously filter light and provide privacy.

—Rob Haskell

Many merely desire a pleasant afternoon perusing the exhibitions in their local gallery.

—Launt Thompson

Many of the deep-sea fishes, for example, have pathetically weak skeletons and terribly flabby bodies—in extreme cases they are the consistency of gelatin and seem to be composed merely of mouth and stomach.

—Tim Flannery

… because of technology what in the past would have taken days took merely hours.

—Lee Child

Synonyms of merely

• just
• only
• simply

Examples of merely in a Sentence

the outside noise was merely a raccoon knocking over the garbage can

Recent Examples on the Web

While the joke might’ve been harsh, Brady is merely returning the favor; Hart was one of the many comedians present at his own 2024 roast. —Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 11 May 2026

And somehow all of this was merely the appetizer — for an even more outrageous spectacle. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 May 2026

But that didn’t put the matter to rest, merely postponing the language to a stand-alone vote this coming week. —David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

And even if time and age eventually force a realignment, turning the kid into a caretaker and the mother into a caretaker, the shift is merely physical. —Andre Mouchard, Daily News, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing merely

• not just/only/merely
• not merely

Rhymes for merely

• austerely
• severely
• sincerely
• cavalierly
• clearly
• dearly
• nearly
• queerly
• yearly