if only

adverb
UK: /ˌɪf ˈəʊnli/
US: /ˌɪf ˈoʊnli/

  1. used to say you wish something was true or had happened, often expressing regret

    1. If only I had studied harder I would have passed the exam. [ ] [ ]
    2. If only we had known about the traffic, we would have left the house earlier. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

i wish
if only conjunction

  1. used to express a strong wish or regret about something that did not happen or is not true

    1. If only I could see her again. [ ] [ ]
    2. If only he had listened to my advice, he wouldn't be in this mess now. [ ] [ ]
if only interjection

  1. a phrase expressing a wish that something were different; regret that something is not the case

    1. If only, it wasn't my fault. [ ] [ ]
    2. If only she knew how much I cared. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "if only" is /ˌɪf ˈəʊnli/ in British English and /ˌɪf ˈoʊnli/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "if only": i wish.

Example usage of "if only": "If only I had studied harder I would have passed the exam.". More examples on the page.