not really

phrase

—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

To be consumed by shame while growing up from a boy to a man, but not really being able to grow up — there’s a stuntedness. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Alessandro Bastoni’s 68th-minute equaliser here, denying France a third straight win under Zidane to begin his reign, did not really dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

And also, rehearsal is not really where Lance’s interest lies. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026

We’re told there’s some troubling family history in their background that might have led to their estrangement, though it’s not really shown. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for not really

• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli