mere

mere — adjective

1. placed before a noun to highlight that the thing you mention is surprisingly sma

1.形容詞B1
釋義

placed before a noun to highlight that the thing you mention is surprisingly small, simple, or unimportant — for example, calling a minor injury 'a mere scratch' or noticing that something cost 'a mere five dollars'.

例句

The repair cost a mere fifty dollars, far less than Ravindra had expected.

a mere + [number + noun] for small amounts

Chidi lost the race by a mere two seconds, which encouraged him to keep training.

同義詞
  • just

    used as an adverb before numbers ('just five dollars'), whereas 'mere' is an adjective before nouns

  • only

    similar emphasis on smallness, but 'only' can also place focus on exclusivity ('only she knew')

  • simple

    stresses lack of complexity rather than smallness; 'a simple mistake' vs 'a mere mistake'

  • trivial

    more formal than 'mere' and carries a stronger judgment of unimportance

反義詞

文法句型

a mere + [number] + [noun]

the mere + [noun]

用法筆記

Always placed immediately before a noun or a noun phrase. It cannot be used after a linking verb — you cannot say 'the scratch was mere'.

常見錯誤

❌It was mere a scratch.
✅It was a mere scratch.
💡'mere' must come after the article 'a' or 'the', not before it.
❌The problem was mere.
✅The problem was a mere misunderstanding.
💡'mere' cannot be used as a predicate adjective after 'be'; it must modify a noun.

2. placed before a noun to show that the simple fact of something existing, happeni

2.形容詞B1
釋義

placed before a noun to show that the simple fact of something existing, happening, or being present is enough to produce a strong emotional or physical response — for instance, feeling sick at the mere thought of a food, or becoming angry at the mere mention of a person's name.

例句

The mere thought of flying makes Apinya feel nervous, even though she has flown before.

the mere thought of + [noun/-ing]

Rodrigo's face turned red at the mere mention of his former manager's name.

at the mere mention of + [noun]

同義詞
  • very

    used in the same structure ('the very thought') with similar intensity, but 'very' is more emotional and less formal

  • simple

    in 'the simple fact' — similar to 'mere' but less intense

  • sheer

    stronger than 'mere'; 'sheer luck' vs 'the mere thought' — 'sheer' is used with different nouns

文法句型

the mere + [noun] + of + [noun/-ing]

at the mere + [noun] + of

用法筆記

This sense almost always appears in the pattern 'the mere + noun + of' or 'at the mere + noun + of'. The nouns that commonly follow are thought, mention, sight, sound, idea, possibility, or suggestion. The structure is often used to show that a reaction is immediate and uncontrollable.

常見錯誤

❌A mere thought of flying makes me nervous.
✅The mere thought of flying makes me nervous.
💡Use 'the' not 'a' before 'mere' in this sense.
❌The mere fact about his name made her angry.
✅The mere mention of his name made her angry.
💡Use a suitable noun like 'mention', 'thought', or 'sight' rather than 'fact'.

mere — noun