Merely vs Completely - What's the difference?
merely | completely | Related terms |
(obsolete) Wholly, entirely.
* 1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
(focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.
(manner) In a complete manner; fully; totally; utterly.
* 1851 , (Herman Melville), , Chapter 70,
* 1899 , (Kate Chopin), , Chapter XIX,
* 1969 , E.R. Zumwalt, Jr., ,
(degree) To the fullest extent or degree; totally.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2
, passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}
* 1968 June 8, ,
* 1975 , (Helen Schucman), '', Lesson 75: ''The light has come ,
Merely is a related term of completely.
As adverbs the difference between merely and completely
is that merely is (obsolete) wholly, entirely while completely is (manner) in a complete manner; fully; totally; utterly.merely
English
Adverb
(-)- It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct Arminius'' was perverted meerly by the perusing of a namelesse discourse writt'n at ''Delf , which at first he took in hand to confute.
Statistics
*completely
English
Adverb
(en adverb)- It should not have been omitted that previous to completely stripping the body of the leviathan, he was beheaded.
- She completely abandoned her Tuesdays at home, and did not return the visits of those who had called upon her.
- Lieutenant (junior grade) KERRY immediately maneuvered his craft through several strafing runs which completely silenced the enemy.
- Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control.
- Keep a completely open mind, washed of all past ideas and clean of every concept you have made.