Definition of merely
: 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
