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

Ted is a little surprised but not really, and a little unsure of how to respond to her generous offer. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026

And now, with this Rodgers appearance, the club is sticking to its practice of acknowledging viral public reaction, defending its players' right to an opinion, and not really taking a side. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Some bars claim hundreds of bottles, but many of those bottles are not really available to be ordered. — Don Tse, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Hoeld conceded that the recent World Cup tournament had not really added to Puma’s top line in any substantial way. — Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 31 July 2026

Rhymes for not really

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