simply

adverb

sim·​ply ˈsim-plē 

for sense 1 also -pə-lē

1

a

: without ambiguity : clearly

b

: without embellishment : plainly

c

: directly, candidly

2

a

: solely, merely

eats simply to keep alive

simply cleaned it up and went to bed

—Garrison Keillor

b

: really, literally

the concert was simply marvelous

—often used as an intensive

… simply crawling with geniuses.

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synonyms of simply

• only
• just
• purely
• solely
• exclusively

Examples of simply in a Sentence

Simply add water to the mix and stir.

Simply click on the computer icon and follow the directions.

If he continues to bother you, simply ignore him.

You can order new checks simply by calling or going online.

It is simply a matter of time before something goes wrong.

The instructions are simply written.

He lived simply on the farm.

The diner is called simply “Joe's.”

“Sorry, I can't help you,” he said simply.

The problem, put simply, is money.

Recent Examples on the Web

Andriy simply isn’t a good leader — neither empathetic nor precise with his advice for Bobby — but then again, Bobby is also clearly in her feelings. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026

To calculate your average monthly payments, simply take your starting debt balance (including the balance transfer fee) and divide that by the length of your APR period. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 24 July 2026

Here, in a pristine clinic on the banks of an even more pristine glacial Austrian lake, illness is not simply bad luck that happens to you. — Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 24 July 2026

Although braids wind their way into many different areas of science, from protein folding to string theory, simply cracking the century-old case was enough of a reward for the trio. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing simply

• simply connected
• simply ordered

Rhymes for simply

• limply

Kids Definition

simply

adverb

sim·​ply ˈsim-plē 

1

a

: in a clear manner

stated the directions simply

b

: in a plain manner

simply dressed

c

: in a direct manner : candidly

told the story as simply as a child would

2

a

: for nothing more than

eats simply to keep alive

b

: without any question : truly

simply marvelous