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

Bradbury is quick to resist describing the initiative as merely a sales platform. — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Sort the genuine threats from the merely unpleasant ones, and a surprising amount of everyday dread will dissipate. — Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Aug. 2026

Without those figures, the state cannot demonstrate that mandatory reservations increase access rather than merely making attendance more predictable for administrators. — Jeffrey T. Donner, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

First Appearance is merely the first stage of a series of legal steps as the criminal matter heads toward a potential trial. — Corey B. Friedman, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 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