mere

1
[ meer ]
/ mɪər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR mere ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, superlative mer·est.

being nothing more nor better than: a mere pittance; He is still a mere child.
Obsolete.
  1. pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.
  2. fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of mere

1
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin merus pure, unmixed, mere

synonym study for mere

1. Mere, bare imply a scant sufficiency. They are often interchangeable, but mere frequently means no more than (enough). Bare suggests scarcely as much as (enough). Thus a mere livelihood means enough to live on but no more; a bare livelihood means scarcely enough to live on.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mere

mere mère mirror

Words nearby mere

mercy killing, mercy seat, mercy stroke, merde, merdivorous, mere, meredith, merely, merengue, mereology, merese
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to merest

simple, sheer, bare, minor, pure, poor, entire, little, plain, common, small, bald, blunt, complete, insignificant, stark, unadorned, unadulterated, unmitigated, utter

Example sentences from the Web for merest

British Dictionary definitions for merest (1 of 4)

mere1
/ (mɪə) /

adjective superlative merest

being nothing more than something specifiedshe is a mere child

Word Origin for mere

C15: from Latin merus pure, unmixed

British Dictionary definitions for merest (2 of 4)

mere2
/ (mɪə) /

noun

archaic, or dialect a lake or marsh
obsolete the sea or an inlet of it

Word Origin for mere

Old English mere sea, lake; related to Old Saxon meri sea, Old Norse marr, Old High German mari; compare Latin mare

British Dictionary definitions for merest (3 of 4)

mere3
/ (mɪə) /

noun

archaic a boundary or boundary marker

Word Origin for mere

Old English gemǣre

British Dictionary definitions for merest (4 of 4)

mere4
/ (ˈmɛrɪ) /

noun

NZ a short flat striking weapon

Word Origin for mere

Māori
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012