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.
The brand talks about service not merely as a function of getting food to customers, but as an expression of care.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Under the board’s unusual charter, they all were eligible to vote merely because of their interest in homelessness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
In a sermon delivered in Italian on Thursday at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the pope suggested machines lack a soul, saying they merely "compile data" quickly.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The researchers are using bivalent, or two-headed, molecules to redirect the activity of cancer-driving proteins instead of merely blocking them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
Lippmann was merely the trader responsible for buying and selling subprime mortgage bonds and, by extension, credit default swaps on subprime mortgage bonds.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
