merely
/ˈmɪəli/adverb
उच्चारण मिअली
केवल, मात्र, सिर्फ़
Core word
- 1
used to emphasise that something is only what you say and nothing more important or bigger
केवल, मात्र, सिर्फ़
- I was merely asking a question.
- It is merely a matter of time before the truth comes out.
- She was merely seventeen when she published her first novel.
+ 3 more examples
- It was merely a rumour, but it spread quickly through the school.
- Merely reading the chapter is not enough; you must practise questions too.
- He did not complain; he merely shrugged and walked away.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
merely + noun / adjective
Merely means only and nothing more. It reduces the importance of the thing that comes after it.
'Merely' का अर्थ केवल और उससे अधिक कुछ नहीं है। यह अपने बाद आने वाली बात का महत्त्व घटा देता है।
- It is merely a rumour, so please do not worry.
- He is merely a clerk, not the manager.
merely + verb (before the main verb)
Merely usually stands before the main verb but after the verb be and after an auxiliary verb.
'Merely' प्रायः main verb से पहले आता है, पर verb 'be' और auxiliary verb के बाद आता है।
- I merely asked a question; I did not argue.
- She was merely trying to help.
not merely ... but (also)
Use this correlative pair to join two ideas, the second being more important or surprising than the first.
इस जोड़ी से दो बातें जोड़ी जाती हैं, जिनमें दूसरी पहली से अधिक महत्त्वपूर्ण या आश्चर्यजनक होती है।
- The book is not merely interesting but also very useful for exams.
- She is not merely a singer but also a fine composer.
merely because / merely to
Merely can come before a because-clause or a to-infinitive to say that the reason or purpose is small or not enough.
'Merely' because-clause या to-infinitive से पहले आकर बताता है कि कारण या उद्देश्य छोटा या अपर्याप्त है।
- Do not reject an idea merely because it is new.
- He joined the club merely to make friends.
+Collocations 4
merely + noun
a formalitya coincidencea symbola rumouran excuse
- The meeting was merely a formality, as the decision had been made.
not merely + word
a question ofaboutthe result ofa matter ofbecause
- Success is not merely a matter of luck.
merely + verb
mentionsuggestobservepretendrepeat
- The minister merely repeated what he had said last year.
merely + adjective / adverb
decorativesymbolictemporarytechnicalverbal
- The changes in the rules were merely cosmetic.
“More examples 5
- I did not shout at her; I merely told her the truth.
मैंने उस पर चिल्लाया नहीं; मैंने केवल उसे सच बता दिया।
- Passing the preliminary exam is merely the first step towards selection.
प्रारंभिक परीक्षा पास करना चयन की ओर केवल पहला कदम है।
- The hotel is merely ten minutes from the railway station.
होटल रेलवे स्टेशन से मात्र दस मिनट की दूरी पर है।
- He did not read the book; he merely looked at the pictures.
उसने किताब नहीं पढ़ी; उसने केवल चित्र देख लिए।
- Radhika is not merely hard-working but also very well organised.
राधिका केवल परिश्रमी ही नहीं, बल्कि बहुत सुव्यवस्थित भी है।
!Common mistakes 1
✗ The pen is not merely cheap but also it is durable.
✓ The pen is not merely cheap but also durable.
Both parts of not merely ... but also must have the same grammatical form (parallel structure).
'Not merely ... but also' के दोनों भागों का grammatical रूप समान (parallel) होना चाहिए।
≠Thesaurus: which synonym when
All three mean only, but they differ in strength and in how formal they sound.
तीनों का अर्थ केवल है, पर उनकी तीव्रता और औपचारिकता में अंतर है।
Formal and slightly negative; it makes the thing seem small or unimportant.
Formal और कुछ नकारात्मक; यह बात को छोटी या महत्त्वहीन दिखाता है।
- It was merely a joke.
The most common and neutral word; it can also show a limit in number.
सबसे प्रचलित और तटस्थ शब्द; यह संख्या की सीमा भी बता सकता है।
- Only two students came.
Informal and spoken; it can also mean exactly or a moment ago.
अनौपचारिक और बोलचाल का शब्द; इसका अर्थ ठीक या अभी-अभी भी हो सकता है।
- I was just joking.
◇Word family
§Grammar and usage
In the correlative pair not merely … but also, both parts must be parallel, as in 'not merely clever but also hard-working'.
Correlative pair not merely … but also के दोनों भाग parallel होने चाहिए, जैसे 'not merely clever but also hard-working'।