sheer

¹ American  

[sheer] / ʃɪər /

adjective

sheerer, sheerest

1. transparently thin; diaphanous, as some fabrics.

   sheer silk.

   Antonyms:

   opaque

2. unmixed with anything else.

   We drilled a hundred feet through sheer rock.

   Synonyms:

   unadulterated, pure, simple, mere

3. unqualified; utter.

   sheer nonsense.

   Synonyms:

   downright, absolute

4. extending down or up very steeply; almost completely vertical.

   a sheer descent of rock.

   Synonyms:

   precipitous, abrupt

5. British Obsolete. bright; shining.

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adverb

1. clear; completely; clean.

   ran sheer into the thick of battle.

   Synonyms:

   entirely, totally

2. perpendicularly; vertically; down or up very steeply.

noun

1. a thin, diaphanous material, as chiffon or voile.

sheer ² American  

[sheer] / ʃɪər /

verb (used without object)

sheers, present (3rd person singular) sheered, past participle, past sheering present participle

1. to deviate from a course, as a ship; swerve.

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verb (used with object)

sheers, present (3rd person singular) sheered, past participle, past sheering present participle

1. to cause to sheer.

2. Shipbuilding. to give sheer to (a hull).

noun

1. a deviation or divergence, as of a ship from its course; swerve.

2. Shipbuilding. the fore-and-aft upward curve of the hull of a vessel at the main deck or bulwarks.

3. Nautical. the position in which a ship at anchor is placed to keep it clear of the anchor.

sheer ¹ British  

/ ʃɪə /

adjective

1. perpendicular; very steep

   a sheer cliff

2. (of textiles) so fine as to be transparent

3. (prenominal) absolute; unmitigated

   sheer folly

4. obsolete bright or shining

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adverb

1. steeply or perpendicularly

2. completely or absolutely

noun

1. any transparent fabric used for making garments

sheer ² British  

/ ʃɪə /

verb

1. to deviate or cause to deviate from a course

2. (intr) to avoid an unpleasant person, thing, topic, etc

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noun

1. the upward sweep of the deck or bulwarks of a vessel

2. nautical the position of a vessel relative to its mooring

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sheerly
  adverb
• sheerness
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have sheered
  perfect
• has sheered
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is sheering
  progressive 3rd person singular
• sheers
  singular 3rd person
• have been sheering
  perfect progressive
• am sheering
  progressive 1st person singular
• sheering
  participle
• has been sheering
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are sheering
  progressive

Past

• had sheered
  perfect
• were sheering
  progressive plural
• had been sheering
  perfect progressive
• was sheering
  progressive singular
• sheered
  simple
• sheered
  participle

Future

• will sheer
  simple
• will have sheered
  perfect
• will be sheering
  progressive
• will have been sheering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sheer¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English scere, shere, schere “free, clear, bright, thin”; probably from Old Norse skǣrr; change of sk- from s(c)h- perhaps by influence of the related Old English scīr ( English dialect shire “clear, pure, thin”); cognate with German schier, Old Norse skīr, Gothic skeirs “clear”

Origin of sheer²

First recorded in 1620–30; of uncertain origin; perhaps a special use of sheer ¹

Explanation

If your curtains allow light to pass through, they're sheer, or see-through. Sheer can also describe something steep, like a cliff, or anything extreme, like sheer nerve. This word has several meanings, but they're all extreme. You might want to layer a sheer shirt over a tank top. Climbing a sheer cliff is almost impossible. If your car sheers, it swerves sharply, and you might crash. Maybe you've met all these meanings in a single nightmare: When the sheer fabric blew over your face as you drove, you lost control and the car began to sheer, filling you with sheer terror as you went over the sheer cliff.

Example Sentences

When Tove Danovich recalls the first time she got an IUD, one thing stands out: the sheer pain of the procedure.

From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026

Despite its sheer simplicity, khichuri, also known as khichdi, flaunts a rich history.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

Its sheer size and index inclusion will both seep value from other stocks in the market, while its fundamentals will make it difficult to generate post-IPO growth with a corresponding bounce in earnings.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Moreover, the sheer gap between India and China on charging points is staggering: China has now scaled to 20 million public charging points vs.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

After a while, he must have fallen asleep just from the sheer misery of crying.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• outright
• pure
• simple
• unadulterated
• unalloyed
• unmitigated