adverb
definition
Wholly, entirely.
definition
(focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.
Examples of merely in a Sentence
He merely asked if she was alright.
I merely wanted to help.
Ed merely looked at them and then back at Carmen.
Unsure how to respond, she merely stood there, hands at her side.
This is not merely a linguistic distinction.
He wasn't trying to be rude; he was merely fending off an uncomfortable subject.
Maybe she and Mary were merely his friends.
She plodded on, willing herself to take each step, not thinking of the miles to go, but merely getting through one more painful step.
For a moment he merely stared at her, his expression unreadable.
He was merely a private person - private and unsociable.
He was merely trying to get her to go out more.
They were fully dressed and he was merely rubbing her back.
Maybe he was merely overprotective.
Maybe it was merely love that made her view him that way, but considering all the second and third glances he got from other women, she doubted it.
In her view the aim of every religion was merely to preserve certain proprieties while affording satisfaction to human desires.
Had it meant anything at all to Cade, or was it merely a moment of desire?
A quick look revealed the speedometer was nearing the ninety mark - or did it merely look like it from her seat?
Was she blinded by love now, or had she merely been unobservant before?
No, you assumed that - and I merely kept my mouth shut.
Was she always misinterpreting his intent, or was he merely quick-witted enough to think of a good excuse on the spur of the moment?
And if the civilized man's pursuits are no worthier than the savage's, if he is employed the greater part of his life in obtaining gross necessaries and comforts merely, why should he have a better dwelling than the former?
Then you don't know if he was merely giving you an opportunity to leave.
He was merely admiring it.
If he had buttered up to her, it was merely to make his job easier.
At Jonathan's inquiring look, she merely said, "Something doesn't feel right."
And we are always most glad of what we not merely see our friends enjoy, but of what we give them to enjoy.
But, answers one, by merely paying this tax, the poor civilized man secures an abode which is a palace compared with the savage's.
Had anyone actually told her that or had she merely assumed it?
Was she merely a female to hold for the evening - or was this what he had been trying to tell her for so long?
Later, when Katie asked what happened, she merely said it didn't work.
The fact that Alex stopped to see Lori merely gave Carmen time to get cleaned up.
The vicomte merely shrugged his shoulders.
I am not merely civil to him but obey him like a corporal, though I am his senior.
You see, you have merely delayed my rule.
Unable to trust her voice, she merely shook her head.
He not merely did nothing of the kind, but on the contrary he used his power to select the most foolish and ruinous of all the courses open to him.
The battle of Borodino was not fought on a chosen and entrenched position with forces only slightly weaker than those of the enemy, but, as a result of the loss of the Shevardino Redoubt, the Russians fought the battle of Borodino on an open and almost unentrenched position, with forces only half as numerous as the French; that is to say, under conditions in which it was not merely unthinkable to fight for ten hours and secure an indecisive result, but unthinkable to keep an army even from complete disintegration and flight.
It is merely necessary to select some larger or smaller unit as the subject of observation--as criticism has every right to do, seeing that whatever unit history observes must always be arbitrarily selected.
Was it merely personality conflict or sibling rivalry?
Was it merely a facade, or did he always have a clear view of where he was headed and the confidence to get him there?
It would not take place because the commanders not merely all recognized the position to be impossible, but in their conversations were only discussing what would happen after its inevitable abandonment.
I think she was merely directing the comment at you because she thought you might want to know.
Was it merely another game he was playing with her mind?
At that moment it occurred to her that Michael merely enjoyed a good chase.
This was merely a test for him.
Kissing had always been merely a means to an end for him, but not with Elisabeth.
There was no point in responding, so Carmen merely shrugged and followed Alex to one of the kidding stalls.
Now, on a regular basis, videos appear which bring to life something that would otherwise be merely an ill-formed image in our minds.
And He is happier than any of us because He is greater than any of us, and also because He not merely SEES your happiness as we do, but He also MADE it.
Their differences couldn't be merely heritage.