If you didn't know me that way then you simply didn't know me.
Source: tatoeba (1406)
Simply
/ˈsɪmpli/
Synonyms for "simply" (190 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (38)
absolutelyaestheticallyafter a fashionalonealtogetherappreciablyapprehensiblyarticulatelyartisticallyartlesslyasceticallyat any rateat bestat leastat mostat the leastat the mostat the outsideat worstausterely
Adverb(1 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
clear up confusion
Strong matches (57)
comprehensiblydecentlydecorouslydefinitelydetectablydistinctlyeasilyeffortlesslyelegantlyen familleentirelyexclusivelyexplicitlyexpresslyfacilelyfairlyfamiliarlyfullygenteellygenuinely
Show 29 more words
gracefullyguilelesslyhands downhonestlyin a mannerin a wayin good tastein partin plain englishin plain termsin plain wordsin some measureincompletelyinformallyingenuouslyinnocentlyintegrallyintelligiblyirreduciblyjustleastwiselightlylike clockworklike nothinglimpidlylucidlymatter-of-factlymerelymildly
Noun(4 words)
emotionally naiveflat color paintin simple languageleast complex life form
Adverb(1 words)
Related words (95)
moderatelymodestlynaturallyno sweatnot comprehensivelynot exhaustivelyobviouslyoffhandoffhandedlyon easy termsonlyopenheartedlyopenlyordinarilypartpartiallypartlypellucidlyperspicuouslyplainly
Show 52 more words
point blankpoint-blankpracticallypro tantoproperlyprosaicallypurelyquietlyreadilyreallyrelativelyrelaxedlysans ceremonieseemlyseverelysimply and solelysinglysmoothlyso farsolelysomewhatsparelysparselystarklystraightswimminglytastefullythus farto a degreeto some degreeto the pointtolerablytotallyunaffectedlyunambiguouslyunanalyzablyunassuminglyunceremoniouslyunconstrainedlyunderstandablyundividedlyunequivocallyunmistakablyunobtrusivelyunofficiallyunpretentiouslyunreservedlyvisiblywhollywith tastewithout ceremonywithout difficulty
Adverb(7 words)
more elementary natural-number arithmeticmore natural languagemost unicellular organismrusticallyto summarizeunembellishedlyvacuously
Noun(9 words)
more unembellishedmore unornamentedmore user-friendlymost beginner language learnermost introductorymost plain-languagemost single-stagemost unadornedmost unembellished
Determiner(2 words)
most everydaymost ground level
Adjective(4 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: just, merely, only, plainly, absolutely.
- Sentence evidence is available for simply, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "simply".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "simply"
Keep "simply" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "simply" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "simply", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "simply" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriessimply becausesimply enoughsimply impossiblesimply putsimply statedsimply the truth
Inflections
2 entriesmore simplymost simply
Derivations
3 entriesTranslations
38 translations across 32 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ἁπλῶς adv (in a simple manner)
Arabic
1 entries- بِكُلّ بَسَاطَة adv (in a simple manner)
Basque
1 entries- apalki adv (in a simple manner)
Bulgarian
1 entries- просто adv (in a simple manner)
Catalan
2 entries- senzillament adv (in a simple manner)
- simplement adv (in a simple manner)
Czech
1 entries- jednoduše adv (in a simple manner)
Danish
1 entries- slet og ret adv (in a simple manner)
Esperanto
1 entries- simple adv (in a simple manner)
Finnish
1 entries- yksinkertaisesti adv (in a simple manner)
French
1 entries- simplement adv (in a simple manner)
Galician
1 entries- simplemente adv (in a simple manner)
German
1 entries- einfach adv (in a simple manner)
Greek
1 entries- απλά adv (in a simple manner)
Hungarian
1 entries- egyszerűen adv (in a simple manner)
Icelandic
1 entries- einfaldlega adv (in a simple manner)
Italian
2 entries- in parole povere adv (in a simple manner)
- semplicemente adv (in a simple manner)
Japanese
1 entries- 単に adv (in a simple manner)
Latin
1 entries- simpliciter adv (in a simple manner)
Lithuanian
1 entries- tiesiog adv (in a simple manner)
Malayalam
1 entries- ലളിതമായി adv (in a simple manner)
Norman
1 entries- sîmpliément adv (in a simple manner)
Norwegian
3 entries- ganske enkelt adv (in a simple manner)
- intet mindre enn adv (in a simple manner)
- rett og slett adv (in a simple manner)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- simpelthen adv (in a simple manner)
Polish
1 entries- po prostu adv (in a simple manner)
Portuguese
1 entries- simplesmente adv (in a simple manner)
Russian
1 entries- про́сто adv (in a simple manner)
Serbo-Croatian
1 entries- naprosto adv (in a simple manner)
Slovene
1 entries- preprosto adv (in a simple manner)
Spanish
2 entries- sencillamente adv (in a simple manner)
- simplemente adv (in a simple manner)
Swedish
1 entries- helt enkelt adv (in a simple manner)
Tamil
2 entries- சும்மா adv (in a simple manner)
- வெறுமனே adv (in a simple manner)
Turkish
1 entries- basitçe adv (in a simple manner)
Sample sentences
19 total sentences available.
There are things in this world which simply cannot be expressed in the form of words.
Source: tatoeba (2258)
Education does not consist simply in learning a lot of facts.
Source: tatoeba (19113)
Patients often die simply because they yield to their diseases.
Source: tatoeba (21063)
Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "simply"?
Closest matches include just, merely, only, plainly, absolutely.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "simply"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.