simply

English

Etymology

From Middle English symply, symplely; equivalent to simple +‎ -ly, with *-lely simplified to -ly by haplology.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪmpli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adverb

simply (comparative more simply, superlative most simply)

1. (manner) In a simple way or state; considered in or by itself; without addition; alone.

   Antonym: complexly

2. (manner) Plainly; without art or subtlety

   Synonyms: clearly, obviously, unquestionably

3. (manner) Foolishly; stupidly.
   • 1791, Charlotte Smith, Celestina, Broadview, published 2004, page 179:

     Mrs. Thorold had told her sons that a young lady was visiting at the house, whose history she had given them in short hand, describing her as a dependent on the late Mrs. Willoughby, whom her son had very simply intended to marry at Alvestone […] .

4. (focus) Merely; solely.

   Synonyms: just; see also Thesaurus:merely

   I was simply asking a question.

   • 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):

     A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. […] This set-up solves several problems […]. Stopping high-speed trains wastes energy and time, so why not simply slow them down enough for a moving platform to pull alongside?

   • 2019 May 21, Dylan Curran, “Facial recognition will soon be everywhere. Are we prepared?”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Rather than scanning a boarding pass or handing over a passport, you simply stare into a camera and you’re verified.

5. (degree) absolutely, positively.

   Synonyms: very; see also Thesaurus:very

   That was a simply wonderful dessert.

   • 1972, Al Green (lyrics and music), “Simply Beautiful”:

     What about the way you love me? / And the way you squeeze me? / Simply beautiful

6. Frankly.

   Synonyms: honestly; see also Thesaurus:actually

   Simply, he just fired you.

Derived terms

• purely and simply
• simply connected

 

Related terms

• single

Translations

in a simple manner

• Basque: apalki
• Bulgarian: просто (bg) (prosto)
• Catalan: simplement (ca), senzillament (ca)
• Esperanto: simple (eo)
• Finnish: yksinkertaisesti (fi)
• French: simplement (fr)
• Galician: simplemente (gl)
• German: einfach (de)
• Greek: απλά (el) (aplá)

  Ancient: ἁπλῶς (haplôs)

• Hungarian: egyszerűen (hu)
• Icelandic: einfaldlega (is)
• Italian: semplicemente (it), in parole povere
• Latin: simpliciter (la)
• Lithuanian: tiesiog
• Malayalam: ലളിതമായി (laḷitamāyi)
• Norman: sîmpliément
• Norwegian: rett og slett, ganske enkelt, intet mindre enn

  Bokmål: simpelthen

• Polish: po prostu (pl)
• Portuguese: simplesmente (pt)
• Russian: про́сто (ru) (prósto)
• Serbo-Croatian: naprosto (sh)
• Slovene: preprosto
• Spanish: simplemente (es), sencillamente (es)
• Swedish: helt enkelt (sv)
• Turkish: basitçe (tr)

merely, solely

• Bulgarian: само (bg) (samo)
• Finnish: vain (fi)
• Hungarian: csak (hu), csupán (hu), mindössze (hu)
• Latin: modo (la), sōlum (la)
• Plautdietsch: blooss
• Polish: po prostu (pl)
• Russian: просто (ru) (prosto), только (ru) (tolʹko), попросту (ru) (poprostu)
• Spanish: simplemente (es)
• Turkish: sadece (tr)

Anagrams

• limpsy

Middle English

Adverb

simply

1. Alternative form of symply (adverb)