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
There’s not really much room for any other discussion.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Oct. 2025
But Loge pointed out that automation has been happening for a long time and is not really thought about much by people day to day.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
And, yes, that’s not really affecting the policies of any of these countries.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
In truth, maybe there’s not really a Yankees scapegoat at all.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
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.
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Oct. 2025
But Loge pointed out that automation has been happening for a long time and is not really thought about much by people day to day.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
And, yes, that’s not really affecting the policies of any of these countries.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
In truth, maybe there’s not really a Yankees scapegoat at all.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 9 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share