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)

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

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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 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

• sheerly adverb
• sheerness noun

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

Example Sentences

And yes, tell your family members it’s worth paying the extra few dollars a month for a cloud backup plan to avoid the sheer terror of realizing all your family photos are gone.

From The Wall Street Journal

In her much-misunderstood essay on Adolf Eichmann, Hannah Arendt emphasized not his evil but his “sheer thoughtlessness.”

From Salon

But rather than being impressed by the sheer scale, he says, consumers should come away thinking: “Wow. I spent two hours with the brand and didn’t notice the time passing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He tried to convince the American people of his strength and relevance through the sheer force of his voice and his staccato delivery.

From Salon

He talked at odd speeds and was often shouting, as if sheer volume could make up for his ineptitude at taking real action.

From Salon

Related Words

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