merely
Americanadverb
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only as specified and nothing more; simply.
merely a matter of form.
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Obsolete.
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without admixture; purely.
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altogether; entirely.
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adverb
Etymology
Origin of merely
First recorded in 1400–50, merely is from the late Middle English word mereli. See mere 1, -ly
Explanation
Merely means "only." If you say "I was merely trying to help," your efforts were probably not appreciated and you're likely to be stalking off with your nose in the air. Merely comes from the Latin merus, ("undiluted"). But "undiluted" is positive — as in, "that's the undiluted truth" — in a way that merely is not. 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.
Vocabulary lists containing merely
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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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.
You’ll notice that the coyote isn’t even accorded a jury of his peers, merely two animated jurors out of 12, and one is a silly goose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Asked at his press conference why he was merely issuing a threat and not taking action, the Treasury secretary replied, “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?”
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
“It treats the Government’s stay application as if the whole point is merely to demonstrate that the Plaintiff States’ claims are not justiciable.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
Yet when asked why he hadn’t imposed major sanctions today, and merely warned of them, Mr. Bessent replied, “Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Boaz could see Clara struggling for words, but the woman merely smiled before turning back to the Prince of Demons.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
