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
If the answer to any of those things is no, or even a not really, then nothing else is important to me.
—
Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 27 July 2025
Having curiosity and agency also helps, but these are not really skills.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 25 July 2025
So even though Marian is talking with her about the option to marry for love or doing it because you’re supposed to, there’s not really a choice for Gladys.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Furthermore, prey sharing is common in orca culture, so maybe sharing their lunch with humans is not really so strange after all.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
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Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 27 July 2025
Having curiosity and agency also helps, but these are not really skills.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 25 July 2025
So even though Marian is talking with her about the option to marry for love or doing it because you’re supposed to, there’s not really a choice for Gladys.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Furthermore, prey sharing is common in orca culture, so maybe sharing their lunch with humans is not really so strange after all.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for not really
Cite this Entry
“Not really.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20really. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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