mere
(redirected from merest)Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
mere 1
(mîr)adj. Superlative mer·est
1. Being nothing more than what is specified: a mere child; a mere 50 cents an hour.
2. Considered apart from anything else: shocked by the mere idea.
3. Small; slight: could detect only the merest whisper.
4. Obsolete Pure; unadulterated.
[Middle English, absolute, pure, from Old French mier, pure, from Latin merus.]
mere 2
(mîr)n.
A small lake, pond, or marsh: "Sometimes on lonely mountain meres / I find a magic bark" (Tennyson).
[Middle English, from Old English; see mori- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
mere
(mɪə)adj, superlative merest
being nothing more than something specified: she is a mere child.
[C15: from Latin merus pure, unmixed]
mere
(mɪə)n
1. (Physical Geography) archaic or dialect a lake or marsh
2. (Physical Geography) obsolete the sea or an inlet of it
[Old English mere sea, lake; related to Old Saxon meri sea, Old Norse marr, Old High German mari; compare Latin mare]
mere
(mɪə)n
(Historical Terms) archaic a boundary or boundary marker
[Old English gemǣre]
mere
(ˈmɛrɪ)n
(Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) NZ a short flat striking weapon
[Māori]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mere1
(mɪər)adj. superl. mer•est.
1. being nothing more nor better than what is specified: a mere child.
2. Obs.
a. pure.
b. absolute or unqualified.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Latin merus pure]
mere′ly, adv.
mere2
(mɪər)n.
1. a lake or pond.
2. Obs. the sea.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English; c. Old Frisian mere, Old High German meri, Old Norse marr, Gothic marei, Old Irish muir, Latin mare]
mere3
(mɪər)n.
a boundary or boundary marker.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English(ge)mǣre, c. Middle Dutch mēre, Old Norse mǣri; akin to Latin mūrus wall, rim]
-mere
a combining form meaning “part,” “segment,” “unit,” used esp. in terms describing structures or divisions of a cell: blastomere; centromere.
[comb. form representing Greek méros]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | mere - a small pond of standing water Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom |
Adj. | 1. | mere - being nothing more than specified; "a mere child" specified - clearly and explicitly stated; "meals are at specified times" |
2. | mere - apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; "only the bare facts"; "shocked by the mere idea"; "the simple passage of time was enough"; "the simple truth" plain - not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
mere
adjective
1. simple, merely, no more than, nothing more than, just, common, plain, pure, pure and simple, unadulterated, unmitigated, unmixed It proved to be a mere trick of fate.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
mere
adjectiveConsidered apart from anything else:
very.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُجَرَدُمُجَردَ
pouhýprostý
blotkunmindste
pelkkä
puki
puszta
sem er ekkert meira en
ほんの
단순한
paprasčiausiaitiktai
niecīgākaistīrais
bara
เพียงเท่านั้น
chỉ là
mere
1 [mɪəʳ] N → lago mmere
2 [mɪəʳ] ADJ (merest (superl)) → mero, simplethe mere fact that → el mero or simple hecho de que ...
the merest jolt can upset the balance of the wheels → la más mínima sacudida puede desequilibrar las ruedas
it was sold for a mere £45 → lo vendieron por apenas 45 libras
a mere child could do it → incluso un niño podría hacerlo
I was a mere child when I married him → no era más que una niña cuando me casé con él, era solamente una niña cuando me casé con él
a mere formality → una mera or pura or simple formalidad
the merest hint of a smile → apenas un atisbo de sonrisa
a mere man → un hombre nada más or (LAm) nomás
it's way beyond the abilities of mere mortals like us → está más allá de la capacidad del común de los mortales como nosotros
a mere nothing → casi nada
the mere sight of blood is enough to make her faint → sólo con ver la sangre or con sólo ver la sangre se desmaya
the merest suggestion of sth → la mera sugerencia de algo
see also mention A1
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
mere
[ˈmɪər] adj (= just, simple) → simple before n
It's a mere formality → C'est une simple formalité.
In Poland, the faith has always meant more than mere religion → En Pologne, la foi a toujours voulu dire plus que la simple religion.
to be mere ... → n'être que ...
They were mere puppets → Ils n'étaient que des marionnettes.
the mere .... (= just the) [+ fact, suggestion, mention, absence] → le simple ...(la)
The mere mention of food made her feel sick → La simple mention de la nourriture la rendait malade.
It's a mere formality → C'est une simple formalité.
In Poland, the faith has always meant more than mere religion → En Pologne, la foi a toujours voulu dire plus que la simple religion.
to be mere ... → n'être que ...
They were mere puppets → Ils n'étaient que des marionnettes.
the mere .... (= just the) [+ fact, suggestion, mention, absence] → le simple ...(la)
The mere mention of food made her feel sick → La simple mention de la nourriture la rendait malade.
(= only) a mere five percent → seuls cinq pour cent
Sixty per cent of teachers are women, but a mere 5 percent of women are heads or deputies → Soixante pour cent des enseignants sont des femmes mais seuls cinq pour cent sont principales ou principales adjointes.
to be a mere ... (= cost only) → ne coûter que ...
Tickets are a mere £7.50 at the door → Les billets ne coûtent que 7,50 livres à la porte.
Sixty per cent of teachers are women, but a mere 5 percent of women are heads or deputies → Soixante pour cent des enseignants sont des femmes mais seuls cinq pour cent sont principales ou principales adjointes.
to be a mere ... (= cost only) → ne coûter que ...
Tickets are a mere £7.50 at the door → Les billets ne coûtent que 7,50 livres à la porte.
the merest (= slightest) → le moindre(la), le plus petit(la plus petite)
the merest hint of criticism → le moindre soupçon de critique, le plus petit soupçon de critique
the merest hint of criticism → le moindre soupçon de critique, le plus petit soupçon de critique
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
mere
1n (poet) → See m
mere
2adj
→ bloß; formality also, nonsense → rein; a mere mortal → ein gewöhnlicher Sterblicher, eine gewöhnliche Sterbliche; he’s a mere clerk → er ist bloß ein kleiner Angestellter; a mere 3%/two hours → bloß or lediglich 3%/zwei Stunden; a mere nothing → eine (bloße) Lappalie; but she’s a mere child → aber sie ist doch noch ein Kind!; the mere thought of food made me hungry → schon or allein beim Gedanken an Essen bekam ich Hunger; the mere sight of him makes me shiver → sein bloßer Anblick lässt es mir kalt über den Rücken laufen; the mere fact that we have won is enough → allein die Tatsache, dass wir gewonnen haben, genügt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
mere
[mɪəʳ] adj (formality) → semplice, puro/a (before n); (thought) → solo/a (before n); (chance, coincidence) → puro/a (before n)she's a mere child → non è che una bambina, è solo una bambina
the mere sight of him irritates her → solo a vederlo s'arrabbia
she's a mere secretary → è una semplice segretaria
by the merest chance → per mero caso
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mere
(miə) adjective no more than or no better than. a mere child; the merest suggestion of criticism.
ˈmerely adverb simply or only. I was merely asking a question.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
mere
→ مُجَرَدُ pouhý kun bloß σκέτος mero pelkkä simple puki mero ほんの 단순한 slechts bare zwykły mero простой bara เพียงเท่านั้น sadece chỉ là 仅仅的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009