used when you want to emphasize how small, unimportant, etc. somebody/something is 仅仅的；只不过 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 只凭…就足以 His mere presence (= just the fact that he was there) made her feel afraid. 他当时在场，这就足以让她害怕了。 The mere fact that they were prepared to talk was encouraging. 他们愿意商谈，这就很不错了。 The mere thought of eating made him feel sick. 他一想到吃东西就觉得恶心。 The merest (= the slightest) hint of smoke is enough to make her feel ill. 最细微的一丝烟就能使她感到不舒服。
Word Originadjective late Middle English (in the senses ‘pure’ and ‘sheer, downright’): from Latin merus ‘undiluted’.