mere

mere — 形容詞

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

1.形容詞B1
釋義

僅僅；不過

強調事物出乎意料地小、簡單或不重要

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.

修理費用僅僅五十美元，遠低於 Ravindra 原本的預期。

a mere + [number + noun] for small amounts

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

Chidi 僅僅以兩秒之差輸掉了比賽，這反而鼓勵他繼續訓練。

常見搭配
  • a mere + [amount/number]
  • mere + [noun of little importance]
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

光是；單是

僅憑某事物的存在就能引起強烈反應

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.

光是想到要搭飛機，Apinya 就開始緊張，儘管她以前飛過很多次。

the mere thought of + [noun/-ing]

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

光是提到前主管的名字，Rodrigo 的臉色就沉了下來。

at the mere mention of + [noun]

常見搭配
  • the mere thought of
  • the mere mention of
  • the mere sight of
  • the mere idea of
  • the mere sound of
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 — 名詞

同根字

常見搭配

常用片語

  • a mere + [number/amount]
  • the mere + [noun] + of
  • at the mere + [noun] + of