sheer

¹

[ sheer ]

adjective

, sheer·er, sheer·est.

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 /

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

sheer

²

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈsheerness, noun
• ˈsheerly, adverb

Other Words From

• sheerly adverb
• sheerness 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

C17: perhaps variant of shear

Origin of sheer²

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

Example Sentences

But Trump’s transition moves on defense are seen by many observers as likely to be constrained by factors including the ethics adhered to by the military’s officer class, combined with the sheer weight of Pentagon bureaucracy.

From Los Angeles Times

NPA chairman Nick Kaye said the ballot result "overwhelmingly shows the sheer anger and frustration of pharmacy owners at a decade of cuts that is forcing dedicated health professionals to shut their doors for good".

From BBC

As McMahon observed, the sheer volume of materials the bots draw from and the synthesizing process make it unlikely that any answer will replicate any specific content exactly.

From Los Angeles Times

To conduct their six-year study, the Australian scientists traveled to Seal Island off the coast of South Africa, the setting for countless “Shark Week” episodes and YouTube videos celebrating the sheer spectacle, and jaw-dropping violence, of great whites rocketing up from the depths and breaching the surface with doomed seals clutched in their mighty jaws.

From Los Angeles Times

"The best of the film is its sheer bloody-minded heft, a blockbuster fuelled by an insistence on bigger, sillier, movie-r," Danny Leigh wrote, giving the film three stars.

From BBC

Related Words

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