only too
Idioms-
At the very least, as a matter of fact, as in I know only too well that I can't win the lottery . This usage was first recorded in 1817.
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Very, extremely, as in I am only too glad to help . This usage was first recorded in 1899.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was only too clear what he was seeking.
From Literature
I kept asking questions, and she was only too happy to keep talking, hardly taking a breath until we stepped off the trolley at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.
From Literature
I was only too happy to follow her advice, but Hannie was different.
From Literature
Her characters's cancer diagnosis is something she understands sadly only too well.
From BBC
Intimately acquainted with Richard’s malignity, these ruined royals know only too well the toll of his depraved machinations.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
