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Slightly vs Merely - What's the difference?

slightly | merely |

As adverbs the difference between slightly and merely

is that slightly is slenderly; delicately while merely is (obsolete) wholly, entirely.

slightly

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • Slenderly; delicately.
    • He was slightly built, but tall.
  • To a small extent or degree.
    • He weighed slightly less than his wife who was a foot shorter.

    Synonyms

    * (to a small extent or degree) a little, marginally, somewhat

    Antonyms

    * (to a small extent or degree) quite, very

    merely

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Wholly, entirely.
  • * 1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
    • 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.
  • (focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.

    • Statistics

    *