a mere time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a mere time" can be used in written English.
It generally means something that happened relatively quickly or easily, so it is often used to describe an event or task that has been completed in a short amount of time. For example, "I was able to finish the project in a mere two days."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

In any case, the novelty of our analysis neither lies in the use of Blanchard and Katz's methodology nor is a mere time extension of the work by Jimeno and Bentolila (1998).

SERIEs

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In March of 1998 B2B was mentioned exactly once on the PRNewswire, the mouthpiece of corporate America; March 1999, a mere 14 times; this March B2B, 692 times.

Forbes

Boeing goes for a mere 11 times innovation-adjusted earnings, against 21 times bottom-line earnings.

Forbes

Korea trades at a mere 3.6 times cash earnings compared with 8.1 times for emerging Asia.

Forbes

In March of 1998 B2B was mentioned exactly once on the PRNewswire, the mouthpiece of corporate America; March 1999, a mere 14 times; this March B2B was touted 692 times.

Forbes

As of this writing, that clip had been viewed a mere 1,327 times — at least five of those by me.

The New York Times

A single, childless Irish person hits the top rate, of 48%, at a mere 0.7 times average earnings; in Japan, the 50% rate bites at seven times the average.

The Economist

That's the smallest distance ever observed for two worlds, 20 times closer than the two nearest planets in our solar system Venus and Mercury and a mere five times the length from Earth to the moon.

Science Magazine

In fact, he had entered a mere hundred and seven times.

The New Yorker

The Nets set a new franchise record, turning the ball over a mere four times.

The New York Times - Sports

A decade earlier it had been "only" $75 trillion, a mere 2.5 times global GDP.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a mere time" to downplay the significance of a duration, implying that something was achieved quickly or effortlessly. For instance, "The task took a mere time to complete".

Common error

Avoid using "a mere time" when the duration is actually substantial or noteworthy. This can create a sense of understatement that clashes with the actual context.

Linguistic Context

Adjectival phrase modifying a noun. "A mere time" functions to describe the duration as insignificant or short, as indicated by the adjective "mere". According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a mere time" is a grammatically correct adjectival phrase used to downplay the duration of an event. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct, even though it's rare. It is most frequently found in News & Media and Science. While its usage is infrequent, employing "a mere time" can be effective for emphasizing the brevity or ease with which something was accomplished. However, ensure the context aligns with this subtle understatement to avoid miscommunication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a brief period

Replaces 'mere time' with a more descriptive noun phrase, emphasizing brevity.

a short while

Uses 'while' to denote duration, maintaining the sense of brevity.

a fleeting moment

Emphasizes the transient nature of the time period.

a negligible duration

Highlights the insignificance of the time frame.

a trivial amount of time

Replaces 'mere' with 'trivial', stressing the lack of importance of the duration.

a quick spell

Uses 'spell' to refer to a short period, maintaining an informal tone.

a split second

Refers to an extremely short duration, implying speed.

a snap of the fingers

An idiomatic phrase that emphasizes immediacy.

a moment's notice

Focuses on the lack of advance preparation or warning.

a jiffy

An informal term for a very short period of time.

FAQs

How can I use "a mere time" in a sentence?

Use "a mere time" to emphasize that something takes very little time. For example, "The entire process took "a mere time" to finish".

What are some alternatives to "a mere time"?

You can use alternatives such as "a short while", "a brief period", or "a fleeting moment" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it always appropriate to use "a mere time"?

No, it's not always appropriate. It's best suited when you want to downplay the amount of time something takes. Avoid using it when the duration is significant or longer than expected.

What's the difference between "a mere time" and "a significant amount of time"?

"A mere time" suggests a short, insignificant duration, while "a significant amount of time" indicates a longer, more noteworthy duration. They are near opposites in meaning.