Dreye權威釋義

a.[B]

唯一的，僅有的
He is an only son.
他是獨生子。
This is the only watch that I have.
這是我唯一的表。
最好的，最合適的，無可匹敵的
She is the only person for the job.
她是擔任這個工作最合適的人選。

ad.

只，僅僅，才
At present we can only wait and see.
目前我們只好等等再說。
不料；反而，結果卻
I walked all the way from home to the library, only to find it closed.
我從家裡一路走到圖書館，不料已經關門了。

conj.

【口】可是，不過
You may come at any time, only you had better let me know beforehand.
你什麼時候來都行，不過最好先告訴我一聲。
要不是，若非[+（that）]
I'd have gone, only (that) it rained.
要不是下雨，我已經走了。

片語

only just

剛剛
They had only just arrived.
他們剛剛才到。

only (that)

要不是
He would probably have done well in the examination, only that he got nervous.
要不是緊張怯場，他也許會考得很好的。

only too

非常
We shall be only too pleased to hear from you further.
我們非常歡迎你再來信。

only if

（用於句首，後接子句主謂倒裝）只要；只有

only for

要不是

辨析

同義:

ad.正好，恰好

just merely simply

同義參見:

sole¹ singular single exclusive scarcely but one mere¹ unique

以上來源於：《英漢大辭典》

adv.

and no one or nothing more besides.
▸no longer ago than.

▸not until.
with the negative or unfortunate result that.

adj.

alone of its or their kind; single or solitary.

▸alone deserving consideration.

conj.

informal except that.

Phrase

only just
1. by a very small margin.
2. very recently.
only too ——
to an extreme or regrettable extent.

Usage

The traditional view is that, to avoid ambiguity, you should place the adverb only next to the word or words whose meaning it restricts: I have seen him only once rather than I have only seen him once. In practice, people tend to state only as early as possible in the sentence, generally just before the verb, and the result is rarely ambiguous.

Etymology

OE ānlic (see one, -ly¹).

以上來源於：《簡明牛津英語詞典》