mere
being nothing more than specified
How often you will meet it
Rank 827 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 21,982 times across 175,160 chapters — 0.010% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
adjective
- being nothing more than specified a mere child
- apart from anything else; without additions or modifications also: bare, simple only the bare factsshocked by the mere idea
noun
- a small pond of standing water
mere in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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When they were mere dust, Christian rose.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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He used to say that all good detective work was a mere matter of method.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles · Agatha Christie · Chapter 1
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The night is chill and cold, I much do fear The little sheep will shiver by the mere.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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Where, strewn in flocks, what cheek-flushed myriads lie Dimpling in dream—unconscious slumberers mere, While billows endless round the beaches die.
John Marr and Other Poems · Herman Melville · Chapter 1
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Matter-of-fact people read the story of Orpheus, and imagine that his "charming rocks" and "soothing savage beasts," is a mere fabulous invention.
Sketches by Seymour — Volume 04 · Robert Seymour · Chapter 1