only

Meanings

Plural: onlies, onlys

Adjective Satellite

• being the only one; single and isolated from others
  • "an only child"
• exclusive of anyone or anything else
  • "I'll have this car and this car only"

Adverb

• and nothing more
  • "he was only a child"
• without any others being included or involved
  • "a privilege granted only to him"
• 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"
• as recently as
  • "I spoke to him only an hour ago"

Adj

• Alone in a category.
• Singularly superior; the best.
• Without sibling; without a sibling of the same gender.
• Mere.

Adv

• Without others or anything further; exclusively.
• No more than; just.
• As recently as.
• Emphasizing something that is just or necessary.
• Used to express surprise or consternation at an action.
• Introduces a disappointing or surprising outcome that renders futile something previously mentioned.
• Above all others; particularly.

Conj

• Introduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations.
• Under the condition that; but.
• Introduces a clause with negative polarity, often one which upsets the listener's expectations.
• But, except; but in fact.

Noun

• An only child.

Particle

• Placed at the end of a sentence to emphasize that something is trivial, small or undemanding.

Synonyms

alone, but, entirely, exclusively, just, lone, lonesome, merely, nia, nonpareil, only if, only when, peerless, simply, sole, solely, solitary, that's all, unequaled

Related Words

A. F. (1992), ah1–3, already, ba1, ba2, Gupta, hah1–3, hor1, hor2, if only, in, know, lah1–14, leh1–2, leh3–6, leh7–11, liao, lor1, lor2–3, mah, meh, nia, number 1, one1–3, sia, volume 18, what, →DOI

Anagrams of only