Definitions for merely
mere·ly

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. merely, simply, just, only, butadverb

   and nothing more

   "I was merely asking"; "it is simply a matter of time"; "just a scratch"; "he was only a child"; "hopes that last but a moment"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. merelyadverb

   Wholly, entirely.

2. merelyadverb

   Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Merelyadverb

   Simply; only; thus and no other way; for this and for no other end or purpose.

   Etymology: from mere.

   Which thing we ourselves would grant, if the use thereof had been merely and only mystical. Richard Hooker, b. v.

   These external manners of laments
   Are merely shadows to the unseen grief,
   That swells with silence in the tortur’d soul. William Shakespeare.

   It is below reasonable creatures to be conversant in such diversions as are merely innocent, and have nothing else to recommend them. Joseph Addison, Spect. №. 93.

   Above a thousand bought his almanack merely to find what he said against me. Jonathan Swift.

   Prize not your life for other ends
   Than merely to oblige your friends. Jonathan Swift.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Merelyadverb

   purely; unmixedly; absolutely

2. Merelyadverb

   not otherwise than; simply; barely; only

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'merely' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1332

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'merely' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3103

3. Adverbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'merely' in Adverbs Frequency: #125

Anagrams for merely »

1. yelmer

How to pronounce merely?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say merely in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of merely in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of merely in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of merely in a Sentence

1. Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart:

   Policy will likely transition from being aggressively stimulative toward merely stimulative.

2. Jared Walsh:

   I would assume for us mortals it is merely impossible. But Shohei plays by his own rules, nothing he does surprises me at this point. Every day it is something new.

3. Anthony Blinken:

   Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability, that’s why they’re not merely internal mattersand why we feel an obligation to raise these issues here today.

4. Robert Frost:

   Why abandon a belief merely because it ceases to be true Cling to it long enough, and it will turn true again, for so it goes. Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.

5. Trey Gowdy:

   He didn’t know if the sources were legitimate, he didn’t know whether or not the information had been corroborated. He was merely a conduit between somebody who may have had a financial interest in Libya and our nation’s top diplomat.

Popularity rank by frequency of use