merelyadverb
uk/ˈmɪə.li/us/ˈmɪr.li/merely adverb (ONLY)
B2 used to emphasize that you mean exactly what you are saying and nothing more:
I wasn't complaining, I merely said that I was tired.
I didn't say that you had to go - I merely suggested that you might want to go.
More examples
- The minister's speech had merely fogged the issue.
- He called the new building unoriginal and said that it merely aped the classical traditions.
- She didn't reply - she merely smiled that insinuating smile.
- Of his origins he said very little, merely mentioning in parenthesis that his background was poor.
- Patriarchy has not disappeared - it has merely changed form.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Merely and barely
- all
- all of sth idiom
- at a pinch idiom
- barely
- but
- by a whisker idiom
- by inches idiom
- hardly
- ill
- inch
- merest
- narrowly
- nothing
- nothing more than idiom
- only
- pinch
- scarce
- scarcely
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merely adverb (NOT LARGE/IMPORTANT)
C2 used to emphasize that something is not large, important, or effective when compared to something else:
The medicine won't cure her - it merely stops the pain.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Of little or less importance
- be in/under sb's shadow idiom
- be neither here nor there idiom
- be no big deal idiom
- biggie
- derisory
- fringe
- inferior
- minor
- miss
- mouldy
- need
- neither
- peripheral
- petty
- rinky-dink
- sideshow
- small-time
- stay
- stay on the sidelines idiom
- subordinate
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Merely and barely