if only
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
if only
conjunction
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see if, only. It made me feel better, if only for a moment.
-
I wish that; would (that) (archaic). Signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future.
If only I could win the lottery.
Similar: that
- I wish that; would (that) (archaic). Signifies a regret about an action in the past. If only I had listened to my parents.
- Even if for no other reason than; only just. I was pretty sure what I wanted, but I still tried on another if only to make sure.
- Signifies a hypothetical or wishful precondition, or one which would be simple but is nonetheless unlikely, for a hypothetical, counterfactual, or future outcome. He could be a great student if only he got [or: if he only got] a little non-judgmental encouragement.
Opposite: God forbid
Thesaurus
conjunction
Opposite: God forbid
Translations
Every language
conj signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future
| Español | ojalá, si, si tan solo, si tan siquiera |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | -らいいのになあ -ra ii noni nā, -ならいいのになあ -nara ii noni nā, -よいものを yoi mono o |
| 中文 | 但願 /但愿 dànyuàn, ...就好了 jiù hǎo le |
| हिन्दी | काश kāś |
| Português | oxalá, tomara (que), quem me dera (que), quem dera (que) |
| Français | si seulement, pour peu que |
| Deutsch | wenn auch, wenn doch nur, wenn bloß |
| Italiano | magari, mi piacerebbe, se solo |
| Ελληνικά | είθε eíthe, μακάρι makári |
| Русский | хоте́лось бы xotélosʹ by, е́сли бы то́лько jésli by tólʹko, е́сли бы jésli by, кабы kaby, будь budʹ |
| العربية | لَيْتَ layta, تَمَنَّى tamannā |
| עברית | הַלְוַאי halevái, מִי יִתֵּן mi yitén |
conj even if for no other reason than
| Português | quanto mais não seja |
|---|---|
| Français | ne fût-ce que, ne serait-ce que |
Talk about this word "if only." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/if%20only. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. if only. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/if%20only "if only." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/if%20only.Cite this
@misc{if_only_2026,
title = {if only},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/if%20only},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
