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 was also plenty of fluff, not really containing enough nutritional value to be called word salad.
—
W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
The bullpen has been more of a question mark, but Manoah might not really add stability to that unit at this point given his own career ups and downs.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Later her sister, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), will be shocked—but not really—to find out what happened that night.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Other than a few fashion faux pas, not really.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 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.
W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
The bullpen has been more of a question mark, but Manoah might not really add stability to that unit at this point given his own career ups and downs.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Later her sister, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), will be shocked—but not really—to find out what happened that night.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Other than a few fashion faux pas, not really.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 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 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share