mere

1 of 4

adjective

ˈmir 

superlative merest

1

: being nothing more than

a mere mortal

a mere hint of spice

2

: having no admixture (see admixture sense 2) : pure

3

obsolete : being nothing less than : absolute

mere

2 of 4

noun (1)

chiefly British

: an expanse of standing (see standing entry 1 sense 2) water : lake, pool

had seen several boats on an inland mere

—Yale Review

mere

3 of 4

noun (2)

: boundary

also : landmark

-mere

4 of 4

noun combining form

: part : segment

metamere

Synonyms

Adjective

• bare
• very

Noun (1)

• billabong [Australian]
• pool
• puddle
• stank [British dialect]
• well

Examples of mere in a Sentence

Adjective

the mere idea of your traveling alone to Europe is ridiculous

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Ryan Poles’ face was perfectly still, sitting in the Bears’ draft room on Thursday night, as mere minutes ticked away toward a decision that would shape a town in dire need of a savior. —Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024

There are 89 rooms that are indeed compact: the largest of them all is the junior suite, which is 322 square feet, and the smallest is a mere 130 square feet – just enough space to undress and roll into bed. —Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024

These bursts of radiation sporadically erupt from the Sun and can unleash the energy equivalent of billions of hydrogen bombs in mere minutes. —Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2024

As for the most popular products, Miu Miu is sitting pretty in the No. 1 spot on that list, too, with its New Balance 530 SL sneakers, which sold out in mere hours. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Apr. 2024

Entrepreneur and socialite Mona Patel wore a full Balmain runway look, mere hours before hopping on a plane to Paris. —Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024

After all, Metro has been promoting both projects with the notion of picking a side, making Cole’s decision to collaborate with him and Future (mere days after ostensibly standing in defense of himself and Drizzy) either an unforced error or an act of war. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024

The difference between the range of missiles was even starker: 280 kilometers, or about 174 miles, (the Ukrainian position) and a mere 40 kilometers, or about 25 miles, (the Russian position). —Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024

But that slowly changes until the mere presence of the big birds manages to convey a sense unease. —Gabino Iglesias, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin merus; akin to Old English āmerian to purify and perhaps to Greek marmairein to sparkle — more at morn

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English — more at marine

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English mǣre; akin to Old Norse landamæri borderland

Noun combining form

French -mère, from Greek meros part — more at merit entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mere

1 of 2 noun

ˈmi(ə)r 

: a sheet of still water : pool

mere

2 of 2 adjective

superlative merest

: being only this and nothing else : nothing more than

a mere whisper

a mere child

merely adverb

Etymology

Noun

Old English mere "lake, pool"

Adjective

Middle English mere "nothing more or less than," from Latin merus "pure"