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
Synonyms
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
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Three examples: Saginaw County, Michigan, flipped to Trump in 2016 before Biden won it by a mere 303 votes in 2020.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Thus far this season, Lattimore has given up a mere 12 receptions for 114 yards in seven games.
—Vincent Frank, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Connecticut, for example, has only 0.3% of its land mass under Washington’s control, while the state of Massachusetts is a mere 1.2% federally owned.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mere 
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Adjective
One search through artificial intelligence chatbots generates an exponential amount of 25 times more electricity than a Google search and will become the predominant energy consumer across several countries in a mere number of years.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Three examples: Saginaw County, Michigan, flipped to Trump in 2016 before Biden won it by a mere 303 votes in 2020.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Thus far this season, Lattimore has given up a mere 12 receptions for 114 yards in seven games.
—Vincent Frank, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Connecticut, for example, has only 0.3% of its land mass under Washington’s control, while the state of Massachusetts is a mere 1.2% federally owned.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mere
Articles Related to mere
Dictionary Entries Near mere
Cite this Entry
“Mere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mere. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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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