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- Dictionarymere·ly/ˈmirlē/
adverb
- 1. just; only: "she seemed to him not merely an intelligent woman, but a kind of soul mate"
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used to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying and nothing more: I wasn't complaining, I merely said that I was tired. I didn't say that you had to go - I merely suggested that you might want to go. Fewer examples. The minister's speech had merely fogged the issue.
The meaning of MERELY is nothing more than : only. How to use merely in a sentence.
Merely definition: only as specified and nothing more; simply. See examples of MERELY used in a sentence.
merely. (mɪəʳli ) 1. adverb [ADVERB before verb] B2. You use merely to emphasize that something is only what you say and not better, more important, or more exciting. [emphasis] Michael is now merely a good friend. Francis Watson was far from being merely a furniture expert.
When you use merely, it always has a negative, disapproving tinge to it: You might say, "She was merely a minor player in that drama," but if you said, "She was merely the star of the show," you would mean it ironically, since being the star is the most important role.
MERELY meaning: 1. used to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying and nothing more: 2. used to…. Learn more.
Define merely. merely synonyms, merely pronunciation, merely translation, English dictionary definition of merely. adv. And nothing else or more; only: Their simultaneous arrival at the party was merely a coincidence.
used meaning ‘only’ or ‘simply’ to emphasize a fact or something that you are saying. It is not merely a job, but a way of life. He said nothing, merely smiled and watched her. They agreed to go merely because they were getting paid for it. I'm merely stating what everybody knows anyway.
only as specified and nothing more; simply: merely a matter of form. Obsolete. without admixture; purely. altogether; entirely. ˈmerely. / ˈmɪəlɪ / adverb. only; nothing more than. Discover More. Word History and Origins. Origin of merely 1. First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere 1, -ly.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English merely mere‧ly / ˈmɪəli $ ˈmɪrli / W2 adverb 1 used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is SYN only He’s merely a boy – you can’t expect him to understand. 2 ONLY used to emphasize that nothing more than what you say is involved SYN just We’re merely good friends.
