simply
adverb
Simple meaning
In a straightforward way, without being fancy or complicated
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
simpleeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɪmpli
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
manner
In a simple manner; without extravagance or embellishment
manner
In a simple way or state; considered in or by itself; without addition; alone.
focus
Merely; solely.
manner
Plainly; without art or subtlety
Frankly.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: In a simple manner; without extravagance or embellishment
Used this way, simply is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use simply
- “I was simply asking a question.”adverb
- “That was a simply wonderful dessert.”adverb
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.