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
So even though Marian is talking with her about the option to marry for love or doing it because you’re supposed to, there’s not really a choice for Gladys.
—
Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Furthermore, prey sharing is common in orca culture, so maybe sharing their lunch with humans is not really so strange after all.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
The lead character is the prince, who doesn’t want to be on the throne and is not really that smart.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
And some dung beetles use the Milky Way to find their way at night, but for the much simpler task of going in a straight line over a short distance, which does not really compare with the moths’ long journey to a highly specific destination.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
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Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Furthermore, prey sharing is common in orca culture, so maybe sharing their lunch with humans is not really so strange after all.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
The lead character is the prince, who doesn’t want to be on the throne and is not really that smart.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
And some dung beetles use the Milky Way to find their way at night, but for the much simpler task of going in a straight line over a short distance, which does not really compare with the moths’ long journey to a highly specific destination.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
Cite this Entry
“Not really.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20really. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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