mere
1[ meer ]
/ mɪər /
adjective, superlative mer·est.
being nothing more nor better than: a mere pittance; He is still a mere child.
Obsolete.
- pure and unmixed, as wine, a people, or a language.
- fully as much as what is specified; completely fulfilled or developed; absolute.
Words nearby mere
mercy killing, mercy seat, mercy stroke, merde, merdivorous, mere, meredith, merely, merengue, mereology, merese
Origin of mere
11250–1300; 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples 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
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