Mere: meaning, definitions and examples

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mere

[ mɪər ]

^{Context #1}

simple

used to emphasize how small, unimportant, or insignificant someone or something is

Synonyms

bare, plain, simple, unadorned

Examples of usage

His problems seemed mere trifles compared to hers.
The mere thought of it made her shudder.
It was a mere formality.
She's a mere child.

^{Context #2}

emphasis

used to emphasize the fact that something is only what is stated and nothing more

Synonyms

just, only, purely, simply

Examples of usage

It's not just a mere coincidence.
He's not a mere acquaintance.

Translations

Translations of the word "mere" in other languages:

🇵🇹 apenas

só
meramente

🇮🇳 सिर्फ

केवल
मात्र

🇩🇪 nur

bloß
lediglich

🇮🇩 hanya

cuma
sekadar

🇺🇦 лише

тільки
просто

🇵🇱 tylko

jedynie
zaledwie

🇯🇵 ただ

だけ
単に

🇫🇷 seulement

juste
simplement

🇪🇸 solo

solamente
meramente

🇹🇷 sadece

yalnızca
sırf

🇰🇷 단지

오직
단순히

🇸🇦 فقط

مجرد
لا غير

🇨🇿 pouze

jenom
pouze

🇸🇰 len

iba
jednoducho

🇨🇳 仅仅

只是
仅

🇸🇮 le

samo
zgolj

🇮🇸 aðeins

bara
einungis

🇰🇿 тек

ғана
жай

🇬🇪 მხოლოდ

უბრალოდ
მხოლოდ

🇦🇿 yalnız

sadəcə
sırf

🇲🇽 solo

solamente
simplemente

Word origin

The word 'mere' originated from Middle English, from Old English 'mǣre', meaning 'boundary, limit'. Over time, its meaning evolved to include the current definitions of 'small' or 'only'. The use of 'mere' to emphasize insignificance or simplicity dates back to the 14th century.