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

So the barking of the mailman’s dog, Lightning, could have been consternation, or merely appetite. —Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026

This vote merely underscores that the constitutional system meant to regulate war powers has broken down. —Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026

After all, the Constitution, which had been written merely six years earlier, entrusted to Congress the power to declare war. —Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026

And, because the data reveals that merely owning a low emission vehicle doesn’t mean it’s getting used, these policies fail to achieve their objectives. —Philip Rossetti, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026

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