not really

idiom

—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

Reliving the gut-wrenching final battle between Toothless and the giant Alpha queen dragon also hits home the importance of a simple apology as well as words of affirmation, from Stoic the Vast, specifically, who previously had not really respected his son’s way of thinking. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 8 June 2025

Leon Rose clearly didn’t like the fact that Thibodeau didn’t use guys like Landry Shamet, not really, and Delon Wright until the Knicks were in a ditch against the Pacers. —Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025

Its plot doesn’t entirely hold up to scrutiny, but it’s not really meant to. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 June 2025

Most guys, they’re getting pulled at the fifth or sixth inning, not going deep into games and not really doing anything that makes headlines. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 29 May 2025

Rhymes for not really

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