if only

Pronunciation

Audio (General Australian): (file)

Conjunction

if only

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see if,‎ only.
It made me feel better, if only for a moment.

It won't be much fun if only guys turn up to the party.
(idiomatic) I wish that; would (that) (archaic). Signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future.
If only I could win the lottery.

My gambling ex could come to his senses, if only.
(idiomatic) I wish that; would (that) (archaic). Signifies a regret about an action in the past.
If only I had listened to my parents.

We didn't have that luxury. If only!
(idiomatic) 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.
(idiomatic) 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.

If you'd only quit interrupting me, I'll tell you!

Antonyms

God forbid

Translations

signifies a wish or desire for the present or the future

Arabic: لَيْتَ (ar) (layta), تَمَنَّى (tamannā) (a sentence in subjunctive mood follows)
Armenian: երանի (hy) (erani)
Catalan: tant de bo (ca), si (ca), si només, si tan sols, encara bo (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 但願 / 但愿 (zh) (dànyuàn), ...就好了 (jiù hǎo le)
Czech: kéž by, kéž (cs)
Danish: gid
Dutch: was het maar zo dat, or use auxiliary hebben (nl) with inversion and maar (nl)
Finnish: jos vain, kunpa
French: si seulement (fr), pour peu que (fr)
German: wenn auch, wenn doch nur, wenn bloß
Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌽𐌴𐌹 (wainei)
Greek: είθε (el) (eíthe), μακάρι (el) (makári)
Ancient: ὄφελον (óphelon), εἴθε (eíthe)
Hebrew: הַלְוַאי (halevái), מִי יִתֵּן (he) (mi yitén)
Hindi: काश (hi) (kāś)
Hungarian: bár (hu), bárcsak (hu)
Italian: magari (it), mi piacerebbe, se solo
Japanese: (conditional sentence + ii noni (nā)) -ばいいのになあ (-ba ii noni nā), -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)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: xwezî (ku)
Latin: utinam (la)
Malay: sekira (ms), semoga, kalaulah
Marathi: जर का (jar kā)
Old English: ēalā
Persian: کاش (fa) (kâš)
Polish: jeśli by, jeśliby (pl), o ile (pl), byle (pl), bodaj (pl)
Portuguese: oxalá (pt), tomara (que) (pt), quem me dera (que), quem dera (que) (a sentence in the subjunctive mood follows)
Russian: хоте́лось бы (xotélosʹ by), е́сли бы то́лько (jésli by tólʹko), е́сли бы (ru) (jésli by), кабы (ru) (kaby), будь (ru) (budʹ)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: да бар, само да

Roman: da bar, samo da
Slovene: če bi le
Spanish: ojalá (es), si (es), si tan solo, si tan siquiera
Turkish: keşke (tr)
Turkmen: käşgä
Ukrainian: я́кби (uk) (jákby)
Yiddish: הלוואי (halevay, alevay)

signifies a regret about an action in the past

even if for no other reason than

French: ne fût-ce que (fr), ne serait-ce que (fr)
Hungarian: ha másért nem (is), (csak/csupán/pusztán/mindössze) azért,…
Portuguese: quanto mais não seja

signifies a hypothetical or wishful precondition

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: ^{(please verify)} të paktën (sq)
Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} si al minus

References

“if only”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

only if