Thesaurus:merely

Thesaurus

merely

English

Adverb

Sense: no more than

Detail: Focus adverb. Used as a generic downtoner (reduces intensity of meaning).

Synonyms

• but
• just
• literally
• merely
• no more than
• nothing but
• only
• simply

Antonyms

• absolutely
• all-fired (chiefly US)
• completely    [⇒ thesaurus]
• fuck-off (vulgar, slang)
• fucking (vulgar)
• indeed
• literally (proscribed)
• motherfucking (very vulgar)
• very    [⇒ thesaurus]
• very much

Further reading

• “32. smallness” in Roget's Thesaurus, T. Y. Crowell Co., 1911.
• “merely” in Moby Thesaurus II, Grady Ward, 1996.