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

The partners in life and work are back in Los Angeles for another cycle of hybrid awards-release promotion, merely a year after their film The Brutalist made the same rounds — eventually going home with three Oscars in addition to a nomination for best picture. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025

When Deandra confronts Willa in the otherwise empty bathroom at a school dance, Infiniti brings fear and curiosity and the barbed self-assuredness of a teenager to the fore, merely in the slight adjustments to her facial expression. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025

This is bizarre enough, suggesting that merely the fact of our attention affects physical reality, or that there is some immense reality occurring that our brains are too limited to observe. —Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025

The findings reveal a surprising sense of economic anxiety, with 64% of six-figure earners saying their income isn’t a milestone for success but merely the bare minimum for staying afloat. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 23 Nov. 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