not really

phrase

—used to say "no" in a way that is not very forceful or definite

"Was the movie good?" "Not really."

"Do you want to go to a movie?" "No, not really."

Examples of not really in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Before that day, Americans could not really conceive of an attack like this one — passenger planes slammed into high-rise buildings, the Pentagon, a Pennsylvania field in the deadliest act of coordinated violence this nation has ever seen. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

That was the scariest moment, not really knowing what was coming next and unable to do anything about it but wait and listen to the news. — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

The stabs at humor also fall flat, even if the gimmick of a priest injecting his enemies with a serum that obliges them to attend mass every Sunday is kind of fun the first time, but not really the second or third. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

Susie showed me the large black shoe and its pair, women’s shoes, sturdy, a little worn, and not really very attractive. — Lydia Davis, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for not really

• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli