Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [mer; English mair]
- /mɛr; English mɛər/
- /mɪə(r)/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [mer; English mair]
- /mɛr; English mɛər/
Definitions of mere word
- abbreviation MERE mother1 . 1
- noun mere (obsolete) the sea. 1
- adjective mere just, no more than 1
- noun mere weapon 1
- adjective mere You use mere to emphasize how unimportant or inadequate something is, in comparison to the general situation you are describing. 0
- adjective mere You use mere to indicate that a quality or action that is usually unimportant has a very important or strong effect. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of mere
First appearance:
before 1250 One of the 11% oldest English words
1250-1300; Middle English < Latin merus pure, unmixed, mere
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Mere
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
mere popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 46% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
mere usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for mere
adj mere
- simple — easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.
- sheer — transparently thin; diaphanous, as some fabrics: sheer stockings.
- bare — If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing.
- minor — lesser, as in size, extent, or importance, or being or noting the lesser of two: a minor share.
- pure — free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind; free from extraneous matter: pure gold; pure water.
adjective mere
- meager — deficient in quantity or quality; lacking fullness or richness; scanty; inadequate: a meager salary; meager fare; a meager harvest.
- ordinary — of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional: One novel is brilliant, the other is decidedly ordinary; an ordinary person.
- entire — An uncastrated male horse.
Antonyms for mere
adj mere
- indefinite — not definite; without fixed or specified limit; unlimited: an indefinite number.
- uncertain — not definitely ascertainable or fixed, as in time of occurrence, number, dimensions, or quality.
- huge — extraordinarily large in bulk, quantity, or extent: a huge ship; a huge portion of ice cream.
- immense — vast; huge; very great: an immense territory.
- large — of more than average size, quantity, degree, etc.; exceeding that which is common to a kind or class; big; great: a large house; a large number; in large measure; to a large extent.
adjective mere
- enormous — very big
- excellent — Used to indicate approval or pleasure.
- extraordinary — Very unusual or remarkable.
Top questions with mere
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