Only meaning

What does “only” mean? Definitions, examples, synonyms and opposites.

“only” is an adjective and adverb with 9 meanings. Its most common meaning is: being the only one; single and isolated from others.

only

being the only one; single and isolated from others
“the lone doctor in the entire county”
“a lonesome pine”
Synonymslone lonesome sole solitary
exclusive of anyone or anything else
“she alone believed him”
“cannot live by bread alone”
Synonymsalone

and nothing more
“I was merely asking”
“it is simply a matter of time”
Synonymsmerely simply just but
without any others being included or involved
“was entirely to blame”
“a school devoted entirely to the needs of problem children”
Synonymsentirely exclusively solely alone
with nevertheless the final result
“He arrived only to find his wife dead”
“We won only to lose again in the next round”
in the final outcome
“These news will only make you more upset”
except that
“It was the same story; only this time she came out better”
never except when
“call me only if your cold gets worse”
Synonymsonly if only when
as recently as
“I spoke to him only an hour ago”

Source: WordNet 3.1, Princeton University