mere
meer
Mere (adj) means nothing more than; only, and nothing else — used to play down the size or importance of something. Example: “The mere thought of speaking in front of a crowd made him nervous.”
adj
1
Nothing more than; only, and nothing else — used to play down the size or importance of something.
"The mere thought of speaking in front of a crowd made him nervous."
"It took a mere five minutes to finish the whole test."
"She was a mere child when the family moved abroad."
noun
1
A lake or pond, especially a broad, shallow one (mostly seen today in place names like Windermere).
"Swans glided across the mere in the early morning mist."
"Walkers rested on a bench by the mere and watched the ducks."
"The village sits beside a quiet mere fringed with reeds."
How to use mere
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed to emphasize how small, ordinary, or unimportant something is.
Common pairings
a mere fraction
the mere thought of it
mere coincidence
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Word forms
- Plural
- meres
- Third person singular
- meres
- Past tense
- mered
- Comparative
- merer
- Superlative
- merest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ thought of speaking in front of a crowd made him nervous.
Etymology
From Old French mier, from Latin merus ("pure, undiluted") — the same root gives us the sense of "nothing but, simply."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for mere
See all rhymes for mere →Frequently asked questions
What does “mere” mean?
The word “mere” means nothing more than; only, and nothing else — used to play down the size or importance of something. In plain terms, used to emphasize how small, ordinary, or unimportant something is.
How do you pronounce “mere”?
“Mere” is pronounced meer (/mɪɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “mere” in a sentence?
Here is “mere” used in a sentence: “It took a mere five minutes to finish the whole test.”
What is another word for “mere”?
Words with a similar meaning to “mere” include alone, bare, just, only, simple and very.
What is the opposite of “mere”?
The opposite of “mere” — its antonyms — is total.
What part of speech is “mere”?
Depending on how it is used, “mere” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “mere” come from?
The word “mere” comes from Latin. From Old French mier, from Latin merus ("pure, undiluted") — the same root gives us the sense of "nothing but, simply.".
Is “mere” a common word?
“Mere” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between "mere" and "only"?
Both play down importance, but "mere" comes directly before a noun to belittle it, as in "a mere child," while "only" is more flexible and can modify verbs, adjectives, or nouns. "Mere" adds a stronger note of dismissiveness.
How is "mere" used to minimise something?
"Mere" is placed directly before a noun to stress that something is nothing more than what is named, downplaying its size or importance, as in "a mere formality" or "the mere mention of it." It suggests the thing is trivial or smaller than expected.
Can "mere" be used after a noun or on its own?
No. In its "only" sense, "mere" is used attributively, meaning it must come directly before the noun it modifies. You can say "a mere detail," but not "the detail is mere."
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