not really

phrase

—used to say "no" in a way that is not very forceful or definite

"Was the movie good?" "Not really."

"Do you want to go to a movie?" "No, not really."

Examples of not really in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dispersion of words across architecture does something that does not really involve reading. — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Cooper Pratt, a guy not really known as a power hitter, blasted a ball to left and gave them the lead. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Part of the trouble is the word itself, as compliance is not really a single ‘thing’. — Daniel Kjellén, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Which may not really be a concern once you're gone, but composting has no such impact. — New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for not really

• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli