sheer

¹

[sheer]

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.

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

[sheer]

verb (used without object)

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

verb (used with object)

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

/ 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

adverb

1. steeply or perpendicularly

2. completely or absolutely

noun

1. any transparent fabric used for making garments

sheer

²

/ ʃɪə /

verb

1. to deviate or cause to deviate from a course

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

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

• sheerly adverb
• sheerness noun

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheer¹

Old English scīr; related to Old Norse skīrr bright, Gothic skeirs clear, Middle High German schīr

Origin of sheer²

C17: perhaps variant of _shear

Example Sentences

"I was shocked by the scope of what I was seeing in these videos, especially the sheer number of products that these girls were using," Hales told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

With the 65+ share of the population already at 15% and rising, the sheer scale of this cohort is reshaping the economy’s center of gravity.

Read more on Barron's

Reacting to the leak in the Politics Live studio, BBC political editor Chris Mason said: "The sheer absurdity of reading out something the chancellor has not yet announced in the Commons is mind-blowing".

Read more on BBC

One provision stands out for its sheer effrontery.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It's the sheer amount of time people off the playing surface are interjecting, or being asked to interject, that's making the games at times a bit of a mess."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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