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

• but
• just
• only
• purely
• simply

Examples of merely in a Sentence

the outside noise was merely a raccoon knocking over the garbage can

Recent Examples on the Web

By collecting and analyzing genetic data, 23andMe has acted merely as a custodian, not as an owner, of genetic data. —Moti Mizrahi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025

To say that the firing of Dr. Hayden — executed with the Trumpian flair for erasure — was merely political is to miss the deeper insult. —Jack Hill, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025

But the defense is hoping to cast her recollections merely as sickening details in a deranged love story between two consenting and jealous adults. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 May 2025

The ancient story likely no longer held any religious value for Pompeii residents and served merely as a decoration and status display, Zuchtriegel said. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 17 May 2025

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