/ mɪə(r); NAmE mɪr/ adjective , noun
■ adjective [ only before noun ] ( superlative mer·est , no comparative )
1.
used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc. sb/sth is :
It took her a mere 20 minutes to win.
A mere 2% 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.
■ noun
( BrE , literary ) (also used in names) a small lake
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WORD ORIGIN
adjective late Middle English (in the senses pure and sheer, downright ): from Latin merus undiluted.
noun Old English , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch meer lake and German Meer sea, from an Indo-European root shared by Russian more and Latin mare .