if only

American  

[if ohn-lee] / ˌɪf ˈoʊn li /

idiom

1. (used to express a wish or regret).

2. (used before a reason why someone is doing something, to express that the reason may be a trivial one.)

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if only More Idioms  

1. I wish that. For example, If only I had known you were coming I would have met your plane, or If only it would snow on Christmas Eve. [c. a.d. 1000] For a synonym, see would that.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

if only

A chairman determined to show he isn’t offering guidance might have reason not to move next month, if only to stop investors parsing every speech for a signal, said Forbes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Tourists hauled their suitcases over the doorstep into the fray, fresh off a flight or rushing to make one, if only they could get one last chicken finger first.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

In my newfound visibility, I doubled down on the style that concealed something — anything — about me, if only a few inches of forehead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

And that old saw has always been a fairly decent shorthand, if only because older people tend to be the most reliable voters.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Oh, if only he hadn’t slipped and fallen and dropped that precious bag.

From "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl

Related Words

• therefore