mereadjective [ before noun ]
uk/mɪər/us/mɪr/B2 used to emphasize that something is not large or important:
The plane crashed mere minutes after take-off.
It cost a mere 20 dollars.
used to emphasize how strongly someone feels about something or how extreme a situation is:
The mere thought of it (= just thinking about it) makes me feel sick.
People became excited at the mere mention of his name.
the mere idea/possibility/prospect of something
More examples
- It took a mere five minutes for the world champion to dispose of his opponent.
- His tumultuous triumph five years ago now seems a mere footnote in history.
- The committee is a mere appendage of the council and has no power of its own.
- She had that indefinable something that went beyond mere sex appeal.
- A thousand pounds is a mere bagatelle to him.
- The mere possibility of a tax increase was enough to enrage him.
- Is it really possible that the mere presence of certain actors can doom a TV show?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Of little or less importance
- be in/under sb's shadow idiom
- be neither here nor there idiom
- be no big deal idiom
- biggie
- derisory
- fringe
- inferior
- minor
- miss
- mouldy
- need
- neither
- peripheral
- petty
- rinky-dink
- sideshow
- small-time
- stay
- stay on the sidelines idiom
- subordinate
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Merely and barely