not really
idiom
—used to say "no" in a way that is not very forceful or definite
"Was the movie good?" "Not really."
"Do you want to go to a movie?" "No, not really."
Examples of not really in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So start internally, make sure that [person] is not really there, and then go external.
—
Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
He's not really rumored to be a big target of the New York Yankees or Houston Astros, both of whom need a first baseman.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Little happened that rose to the level of active warfare—and yet the country could not really have been said to be at peace.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
This sounds like a lot of money to people who don't start apps and sell their companies, but by Silicon Valley standards, this is not really deemed a success.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for not really 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
He's not really rumored to be a big target of the New York Yankees or Houston Astros, both of whom need a first baseman.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Little happened that rose to the level of active warfare—and yet the country could not really have been said to be at peace.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
This sounds like a lot of money to people who don't start apps and sell their companies, but by Silicon Valley standards, this is not really deemed a success.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for not really
Dictionary Entries Near not really
Cite this Entry
“Not really.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20really. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share