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

In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded. —Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026

The misery inflicted on the thousands of Maryland commuters is merely the stick to drive more people to consider ailing public transportation options. —Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2026

Its vast salt flats, jagged canyons, and sweeping sand dunes seem merely designed to test human endurance. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026

But systems that automate reconnaissance and strikes are merely the most visible parts of the automation revolution. —Jon R. Lindsay, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 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