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Definition of mere adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

mere

adjective
 
 
/mɪə(r)/
 
/mɪr/
[only before noun]
(superlative merest, no comparative)
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  1.  
    used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc. somebody/something is
    • It took her a mere 20 minutes to win.
    • A mere 2 per cent of their budget has been spent on publicity.
    • He seemed so young, a mere boy.
    • You've got the job. The interview will be a mere formality.
  2.  
    used when you are saying that the fact that a particular thing is present in a situation is enough to have an influence on that situation
    • His mere presence (= just the fact that he was there) made her feel afraid.
    • The mere fact that they were prepared to talk was encouraging.
    • The mere thought of eating made him feel sick.
    • The merest (= the slightest) hint of smoke is enough to make her feel ill.
    More Like This Adjectives that only come before a nounAdjectives that only come before a noun
    3. Word Originadjective late Middle English (in the senses ‘pure’ and ‘sheer, downright’): from Latin merus ‘undiluted’.
See mere in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee mere in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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dizzy
adjective
 
 
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