mere
gb/mˈɪɹ/ us/mˈɪɹ/
B2
English
~ 2700
csupán, mindössze, puszta, tó, tavacska
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a mere [number/amount/noun]
She lost the race by a mere second.
Mindössze egy másodperccel vesztette el a versenyt.
It’s a mere formality before we start the project.
Ez puszta formalitás, mielőtt elkezdjük a projektet.
He’s a mere child, but already very wise.
The repairs cost a mere fifty dollars.
The delay was caused by a mere oversight.
Learner examples
The book costs a mere five dollars.
A könyv mindössze öt dollárba kerül.
He is a mere boy.
Ő még csak egy fiú.
It is a mere game, not real life.
We waited a mere ten minutes.
It is a mere formality before the meeting.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mere' with 'mere' as in 'lake' from older English; also may overuse it in casual speech where 'just' or 'only' would sound more natural.
Meaning
small or unimportant
Collocations
a mere child
|a mere formality
|a mere fraction
|a mere handful
|a mere coincidence
Synonyms
only (More general and common; can be used in more contexts without the connotation of smallness or insignificance.)
|
just (Informal and very common; similar meaning but less formal than 'mere'.)
Antonyms
significant (Highlights that something has importance or value, opposite of 'mere' in this sense.)
Themes
description
|comparison
|emphasis
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that something is only what is said and not more important or bigger than that.
Used to emphasize that something is small, unimportant, or only what is stated, and nothing more.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
2
The castle overlooked a tranquil mere.
A vár egy nyugodt tóra nézett.
They set sail across the mere at dawn.
Hajnalban vitorlát bontottak, hogy átkeljenek a tavon.
Mist hung low over the still mere.
Learner examples
The village is next to a mere.
A falu egy tó mellett van.
A swan swims in the mere.
Egy hattyú úszik a tóban.
The castle is near the mere.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this meaning is old-fashioned and rarely used except in poetry or historical contexts.
Meaning
lake or pond (archaic)
Collocations
shimmering mere
|fishing in the mere
Synonyms
lake (Modern, general word for a large body of water inland.)
|
pond (Smaller than most lakes, often artificial.)
Antonyms
land (Opposite in that it is solid ground rather than water.)
Themes
nature
Definition
An old word for a lake or pond.
An archaic or literary term for a lake or pond.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mere
IPA
GB/mˈɪɹ/
US/mˈɪɹ/
Syllables & stress
mere (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mere)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: mere
- Comparative: merer
- Superlative: merest
Noun
- Base: mere
- Plural: meres
Word family
Forms
meres
noun
merer
adjective
merest
adjective
Core family
merely
adverb B1
Expressions
by no means/mere coincidence
1/bˈaɪ nˈoʊ mənzmɚ koʊˈɪnsɪdəns/
fixed phrase
not accidental or unplanned
Used to say that something is not just chance but has a reason behind it.
Examples
- It was by no mere coincidence that they met again.
- Her success was by no mere coincidence; she worked hard for it.
the merest
1/ðə mˈɛɹɪst/
fixed phrase
smallest possible amount
Used to say that something is the smallest possible amount or degree of something.
Examples
- He won by the merest fraction of a second.
- She gave the merest hint of a smile.