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

Noun (1)

one of the most scenic meres in England's Lake District

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That’s mere coincidence, because de Leon never reached this far north and was likely unaware of the three forks. —Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2024

Beyond mere restructuring, Triumphus professionalizes, that is, trains people on the ground, to empower its clients and the company to not just solve symptoms but address underlying issues with precision and foresight. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024

Grinding away day after day, San Marcos posted its first winning season in nearly a decade, finished mere percentage points behind champion Cal State Monterey Bay in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings and earned the No. 2 seed to this week’s CCAA Tournament. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2024

The business was in trouble, according to Diana, and her parent’s couldn’t boost the mere 40 tickets or so per day for $6.45 chow mein or $7.75 sweet-and-sour pork. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024

By doing so, these authors free Hemings and the other enslaved members of her family from being mere footnotes in Jefferson’s biography. —Salamishah Tillet, New York Times, 10 May 2024

But what started as mere jabs at the other’s height and hair soon became something more sinister as each rapper tried to one-up the other. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024

It was staged mere months after the violence in Birmingham, and just two weeks before the March on Washington that demanded jobs and justice for Black Americans. —Larry Tye, TIME, 9 May 2024

The best of these partnerships involve a connection deeper than the mere alignment of commercial interests. —Blake Buettner, Robb Report, 8 May 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"