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
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
Insurers argue that patients can always pay for any treatment themselves, so they’re not really being denied care.
—Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 20 June 2025
But time is not really on their side this season, playing in one of the toughest divisions historically in MLB.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
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
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Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Insurers argue that patients can always pay for any treatment themselves, so they’re not really being denied care.
—Jennifer D. Oliva, The Conversation, 20 June 2025
But time is not really on their side this season, playing in one of the toughest divisions historically in MLB.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 20 June 2025
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
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 5 Jul. 2025.
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