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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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Learn the meaning and usage of the adverb merely, which can express only, nothing more, or not large, important, or effective. See sentences from the Cambridge English Corpus and translations in other languages.
- Emphasize
EMPHASIZE definition: 1. to show that something is very...
- English (US)
used to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying...
- Emphasize
Merely is an adverb that means nothing more than or only. Learn its synonyms, examples, word history, and phrases containing it from Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Learn the meaning, pronunciation, synonyms, and usage of the adverb 'merely' in British and American English. See examples of 'merely' in sentences and compare it with 'not merely'.
Learn the meaning of merely as an adverb to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying or that something is not large, important, or effective. See examples of merely in different contexts and how to pronounce it.
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 definition: only as specified and nothing more; simply. See examples of MERELY used in a sentence.
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.
