# mere

/ˈmɪɹ/ (US) · /mˈiə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mere
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. only or just

adjective · CEFR B2

used to emphasize how small or unimportant something is.

For teachers: used to emphasize that the subject is nothing more than what is specified, often highlighting its insignificance or small scale.

- The cost of the repair was a mere ten dollars, which was much less than I expected.
- The entire project was derailed by a mere technicality that the legal team had overlooked during the initial review.

Usage: Always used before a noun; it cannot be used after a verb like 'is'.

### 2. a lake or pond

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary · British English · Dialect

a lake or a large pond, often used in old stories or British place names.

For teachers: a body of standing water, typically a broad, shallow lake. Often encountered in toponymy or period literature.

- The old castle stood on the edge of a quiet mere, surrounded by thick fog.
- The poet described the moon reflecting off the silver surface of the mere, capturing the stillness of the English countryside at twilight.

Teaching tip: Modern learners will mostly see this in place names like 'Windermere' or in fantasy novels.

## Examples

- The whole trip cost a mere ten dollars.
- She was a mere child when she first started performing on the professional stage.
- The document was dismissed as a mere formality, yet its clauses contained the legal mechanisms that would eventually dismantle the entire corporation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.