mere

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Nothing more than; used to stress that someone or something is small, slight or less important than might be expected.

   Grammar: Always comes before a noun and has no comparative form: a mere child, not a child who is mere.

   Patterns

   • a mere something
   • the mere fact that

   It was a mere scratch, so he kept playing.

   The mere thought of exams makes her nervous.

   They finished the whole job in a mere ten minutes.

2. 2nouncountableBritishliterary

   A small lake or pond, especially in northern England.

   Grammar: A regional word used in place names such as Windermere.

   The children skimmed stones across the mere.

   Mist hung over the still mere at dawn.

Word forms

Common combinations

a mere child

He was a mere child when the war began.

the mere mention of

The mere mention of spiders makes her shudder.

a mere formality

The interview was a mere formality.

the mere fact

The mere fact that he apologized helped.

a mere coincidence

It was a mere coincidence that we met.

Synonyms and how they differ

only

Only is common and neutral, whereas mere adds a stronger feeling that something is surprisingly small.

simple

Simple means plain or easy, while mere emphasizes smallness or lack of importance.

sheer

Sheer emphasizes how great something is, which is nearly the opposite of mere's focus on smallness.

just

Just is more casual and can go before many types of words, while mere sits before a noun and sounds more emphatic.

Opposites

Word family

merely adverb

only, and nothing more

merest adjective

the smallest or slightest, as in the merest hint

Commonly confused: mere or merely? mere or mirror?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “mere”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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