not exactly

BY NO MEANS, not at all, in no way, certainly not; not really.

→ exactly

* * *

informal

1) not at all

that was not exactly convincing

2) not quite but close to being

not exactly agitated, but disturbed

* * *

not exactly

informal

1

— used in speech as a mild way of saying “no” especially to indicate that what someone has said is not completely correct or true

“He's your boss, isn't he?” “Not exactly.”

“Did everything go the way you planned it?” “Not exactly.”

2

— used as a humorous or ironic way to say “not”

He's not exactly the smartest guy I've ever met. [=he is not very smart]

• • •

Main Entry: ↑exactly

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not exactly idiom

(informal)

1. used when you are saying the opposite of what you really mean

•

He wasn't exactly pleased to see us— in fact he refused to open the door.

•

It's not exactly beautiful, is it?

(= it's ugly)

2. used when you are correcting sth that sb has said

•

‘So he told you you'd got the job?’ ‘Not exactly, but he said they were impressed with me.’

Main entry: ↑exactly_idiom