Dreye权威释义

a.[B]

唯一的，仅有的
He is an only son.
他是独生子。
This is the only watch that I have.
这是我唯一的表。
最好的，最合适的，无可匹敌的
She is the only person for the job.
她是担任这个工作最合适的人选。

ad.

只，仅仅，才
At present we can only wait and see.
目前我们只好等等再说。
不料；反而，结果却
I walked all the way from home to the library, only to find it closed.
我从家里一路走到图书馆，不料已经关门了。

conj.

【口】可是，不过
You may come at any time, only you had better let me know beforehand.
你什么时候来都行，不过最好先告诉我一声。
要不是，若非[+（that）]
I'd have gone, only (that) it rained.
要不是下雨，我已经走了。

短语

only just

刚刚
They had only just arrived.
他们刚刚才到。

only (that)

要不是
He would probably have done well in the examination, only that he got nervous.
要不是紧张怯场，他也许会考得很好的。

only too

非常
We shall be only too pleased to hear from you further.
我们非常欢迎你再来信。

辨析

同义:

ad.正好，恰好

just merely simply

同义参见:

sole¹ singular single scarcely exclusive but one mere¹ unique

以上来源于：《英汉大辞典》

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).

以上来源于：《简明牛津英语词典》