simply

adverb

sim·​ply ˈsim-plē 

 for sense 1 also  -pə-lē

1

a

: without ambiguity : clearly

b

: without embellishment : plainly

c

: directly, candidly

2

a

: solely, merely

eats simply to keep alive

simply cleaned it up and went to bed

—Garrison Keillor

b

: really, literally

the concert was simply marvelous

—often used as an intensive

simply crawling with geniuses

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synonyms

• only
• just
• purely
• solely
• exclusively

Examples of simply in a Sentence

Simply add water to the mix and stir.

Simply click on the computer icon and follow the directions.

If he continues to bother you, simply ignore him.

You can order new checks simply by calling or going online.

It is simply a matter of time before something goes wrong.

The instructions are simply written.

He lived simply on the farm.

The diner is called simply “Joe's.”

“Sorry, I can't help you,” he said simply.

The problem, put simply, is money.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a matter of hours, the pillars of an entire system of repression had not simply collapsed. —Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025

Daniel Day-Lewis rejected misconceptions about Method acting during a wide-ranging conversation at the BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday, saying that criticism surrounding it comes from those who simply don’t understand. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025

In my first novel, The Laughter, the middle-aged white male protagonist is an English professor who doesn’t understand why the university must give in to demands for a more diverse curriculum and faculty rather than simply teach about truth and beauty from the literary canon. —Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025

Previously, foreign nationals caught illegally trading in gold were simply deported. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing simply

• simply connected
• simply ordered

Rhymes for simply

• limply

Kids Definition

simply

adverb

sim·​ply ˈsim-plē 

1

a

: in a clear manner

stated the directions simply

b

: in a plain manner

simply dressed

c

: in a direct manner : candidly

told the story as simply as a child would

2

a

: for nothing more than

eats simply to keep alive

b

: without any question : truly

simply marvelous