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

Alongside his role as one of the most important publishers of activist political journalism in Germany, Fuchs equally pursued what at first might have appeared merely as a passion for political and erotic caricature. —Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup in sensational fashion, with the final merely a month after Messi debuted. —Tom Bogert, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2025

That turned into merely the start of trouble, with the opening month including blowout losses at UCF and at home to a Clemson team that will finish with that program's lowest win output in 15 years. —CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

Scott scored 17 in the quarter, with three 3-pointers, which was merely a preview of what was to come. —Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 30 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