In a simple way or state; considered in or by itself; without addition; alone.
"The recipe calls for flour, sugar, and eggs simply to make the base before adding any flavors."
In plain English: Simply means doing something in an easy way without any extra trouble or fancy details.
"She simply forgot to lock the door when she left."
Usage: Use simply to mean doing something with ease and no complications, rather than using it as an intensifier like very. Avoid confusing this adverb of manner with the adjective simple when describing how straightforward a task is.
Example Sentences
"She simply forgot to lock the door when she left."adv
"You can simply ignore the noise and focus on your work."adv
"The recipe calls for you to simply mix the ingredients together."adv
"He was simply too tired to continue running after the long hike."adv
Simply comes from the Middle English word symplely, which was formed by adding a suffix to mean "in a simple manner." The spelling eventually shortened over time through a common sound change where repeated sounds were merged.