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
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
Yale Review
: part : segment
metamere
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
Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2025
More news: Lynch's significance within WWE transcends mere championship victories.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The goal of the project is to position women as central figures, as many ancient texts and paintings traditionally depict male heroism, while women are often relegated to mere decoration and reproductive roles.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
That is in keeping with the position of experts, who have maintained for years that increases in autism cases are a mere function of better screening and a widening of the diagnostic criteria of what constitutes the condition.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
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Adjective
According to The Knot’s 2025 Real Weddings Study, a whopping 57% of couples begin discussing engagement over a year before a proposal and a mere 2% never discussed it.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2025
More news: Lynch's significance within WWE transcends mere championship victories.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The goal of the project is to position women as central figures, as many ancient texts and paintings traditionally depict male heroism, while women are often relegated to mere decoration and reproductive roles.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
That is in keeping with the position of experts, who have maintained for years that increases in autism cases are a mere function of better screening and a widening of the diagnostic criteria of what constitutes the condition.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mere
Cite this Entry
“Mere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mere. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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"
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