only

Questions about only

What is another word for only?

It depends which only you mean. In the sense “and nothing more”, the synonyms are merely, simply, just, but. Across all 9 senses there are 14 distinct synonyms, and they are not interchangeable with each other — this page lists them under the sense each one belongs to.

What is the opposite of only?

WordNet records no antonym for only. Antonymy in WordNet is a relation between specific word forms rather than between concepts, so it is recorded only where lexicographers judged the pairing direct. An absence here means none was recorded, not that none can be imagined.

Why are the synonyms for only split into groups?

Because only carries 9 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.

Does this page cover every sense of only?

It covers the 5 senses that carry a synonym, antonym, broader or narrower term. The remaining 4 senses have none recorded, so they are left off a thesaurus page and shown in full on the word page instead.

Where do the synonyms for only come from?

From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

Other views of only

• Full entry for onlyAll 9 senses, with examples, usage labels, syllables and pronunciation.
• Rhymes for onlyWords matching from the last stressed vowel onward, grouped by syllable count.
• Thesaurus homeHow WordNet synsets work, and the collections built for synonym work.