sheer

1 of 6

adjective

1
a
: unqualified, utter
sheer folly
sheer ignorance
b
: being free from an adulterant : pure, unmixed
c
: viewed or acting in dissociation from all else
in terms of sheer numbers
2
: marked by great and continuous steepness
3
: of very thin or transparent texture : diaphanous
4
obsolete : bright, shining
sheerly adverb
sheerness noun

sheer

2 of 6

noun (1)

: a sheer fabric
also : an article of such a fabric

sheer

3 of 6

adverb

1
: straight up or down without a break : perpendicularly
2
: in a complete manner : altogether

sheer

4 of 6

verb

sheered; sheering; sheers

intransitive verb

: to deviate from a course : swerve

transitive verb

: to cause to sheer

sheer

5 of 6

noun (2)

1
: a turn, deviation, or change in a course (as of a ship)
2
: the position of a ship riding to a single anchor and heading toward it

sheer

6 of 6

noun (3)

: the fore-and-aft curvature from bow to stern of a ship's deck as shown in side elevation
Choose the Right Synonym for sheer

steep, abrupt, precipitous, sheer mean having an incline approaching the perpendicular.

steep implies such sharpness of pitch that ascent or descent is very difficult.

a steep hill
a steep dive

abrupt implies a sharper pitch and a sudden break in the level.

a beach with an abrupt drop-off

precipitous applies to an incline approaching the vertical.

the river winds through a precipitous gorge

sheer suggests an unbroken perpendicular expanse.

sheer cliffs that daunted the climbers

Examples of sheer in a Sentence

Adjective a sheer drop to the sea we had to get window shades because passersby could see right through our sheer curtains Adverb mountains rising sheer from the plains Verb the cruise ship sheered to the northwest, putting it safely out of the path of the hurricane the car sheered to avoid hitting the dog
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The sheer volume of threats is stressful for children and families. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 30 Sep. 2024 For instance, patient privacy is paramount, which can become challenging when considering the sheer volume of data needed and the multiple sources it can be linked with—as is the case when analyzing EHR data linked with claims data to generate RWE. Sujay Jadhav, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 The sheer logistical realities of birth set her teeth on edge. Mattie Kahn, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2024 This is because the sheer rotation force of the dull lawn mower blades may not be enough to break through every blade of grass on the first pass. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sheer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sheer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English schere freed from guilt, probably alteration of skere, from Old Norse skærr pure; akin to Old English scīnan to shine

Verb

perhaps alteration of shear entry 1

Noun (3)

perhaps alteration of shear entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1568, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun (1)

circa 1920, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1539, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1691, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheer was in 1539

Dictionary Entries Near sheer

Cite this Entry

“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheer. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sheer

1 of 4 adjective
1
: very thin or transparent
sheer stockings
2
a
: being such to the fullest degree : utter
sheer nonsense
b
: taken or acting apart from everything else
by sheer force
3
: very steep : being almost straight up and down
a sheer drop to the sea
sheerly adverb
sheerness noun

sheer

2 of 4 adverb
1
: in a complete manner : altogether
2
: straight up or down with no break : perpendicularly

sheer

3 of 4 verb
: to swerve from a course

sheer

4 of 4 noun
: a turn or change in the course of a ship
Etymology

Adjective

from earlier sheer "shining," from Middle English sheer "freed from guilt," probably from an early Norse word skærr "pure"

Verb

perhaps an altered form of shear "to cut, cut off"

More from Merriam-Webster on sheer

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