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

For most mere mortals, clarity takes blood, sweat, and tears. —Greg Orme, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

Their rapport during our hourlong discussion elucidates that 41 is no mere business arrangement. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023

The brightly colored buoy of the Southernmost Point (at Whitehead and South streets) marks the spot at which there are a mere 90 miles between the United States and Cuba. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2023

As Swift rolled into arena after arena, her mere presence boosted local economies and upended traffic patterns. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2023

Jewishness had to become American surreptitiously or by mere osmosis. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023

Speaking at Fortune’s Global Forum in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 27, Hasan revealed his company can now speed that process up into a time frame of mere months. —Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023

If the controlling factor is mere profit, look for the nightmare. —WSJ, 27 Nov. 2023

Costing less than both Tylenol or Advil to produce (by some estimations, a mere five cents per pill), with further research, metformin could be a big player in doctor’s toolkits. —Ali Finney, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023

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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"