merely
Nothing more than
Merely means only or just, often with a dismissive or minimizing tone: It's merely a scratch, He's merely an assistant.
The word suggests something is less significant than it might appear, or that expectations should be lowered.
I merely asked a question can imply the speaker meant no harm.
Fair and impartial
- onlyExclusively, nothing more
- simplyIn plain terms
- solelyWithout anything else
- purelyEntirely, without admixture
exclusively · nothing but · at most · only just · singularly · alone · uniquely · singly
Fair and impartial
- onlyExclusively, nothing more
- simplyIn plain terms
- triviallyIn unimportant manner
- insignificantlyIn an unimportant manner
inconsequentially · negligibly · unimportantly · pettily · paltrily · trifling · immaterially
Only just, almost not
practically · virtually · approximately · just about · all but · borderline · marginally · slightly
In obvious fashion
- simplyIn plain terms
- straightforwardlyIn an uncomplicated way
- directlyWithout intermediary steps
- bluntlySpeaking without diplomacy
frankly · unpretentiously · modestly · humbly · unassumingly · matter-of-factly
just
Fair and impartial
purely · exclusively · nothing but · at most · only just · singularly · alone · uniquely · singly
just
Fair and impartial
insignificantly · inconsequentially · negligibly · unimportantly · pettily · paltrily · trifling · immaterially
barely
Only just, almost not
nearly · practically · virtually · approximately · just about · all but · borderline · marginally · slightly · faintly
plainly
In obvious fashion
- simplyIn plain terms
- straightforwardlyIn an uncomplicated way
- directlyWithout intermediary steps
bluntly · frankly · unpretentiously · modestly · humbly · unassumingly · matter-of-factly
- intensifiersvery, really, extremely, absolutely, incredibly
- -LY wordssoftly, loudly, quickly, slowly, happily
- restrictorsonly, just, solely, exclusively, purely
- smallnesssmall, little, tiny, mini, miniature
- logic wordsand, or, not, therefore, ergo
- sentence adverbsobviously, certainly, probably, possibly, perhaps
merelygreatly
To significant degree
enormously · vastly · immensely · abundantly · tremendously
merelyfully
To the complete extent
completely · entirely · totally · thoroughly · wholly
merelyimportantly
With great consequence
crucially · significantly · fundamentally · essentially · critically
- mere mortalRegular person, not godlike
- mere formality
- mere shadow
- mere speck
- mere words
- mere existence