not especially
idiom
informal
—used to say that one is not very interested in doing something
"Would you like to go to a movie?" "No, not especially."
Examples of not especially in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That this piece is not especially long causes the aforementioned twist to land even more forcefully.
—
Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
The public radio system was not especially hospitable to experimental work.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
These phrases are just not especially evocative.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Tucked away in a couple of buildings in Old Town are rows upon rows of colorful artwork, which is not especially unusual for the state historic park.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not especially
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
The public radio system was not especially hospitable to experimental work.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
These phrases are just not especially evocative.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Tucked away in a couple of buildings in Old Town are rows upon rows of colorful artwork, which is not especially unusual for the state historic park.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not especially
Cite this Entry
“Not especially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20especially. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share