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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The non-sticky gloss offers a sheer wash of color and pairs nicely with lipstick or liner. Annie Blackman, Allure, 29 Nov. 2024 The sheer volume of material astonished even those familiar with state paranoia. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Off the runways, the streets went sheer at many of the year’s red carpet events, from the 2024 Met Gala to the Grammy Awards. Irene Kim, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2024 But for Biden to resign now, as Leonard Greene suggests, would be sheer lunacy! Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 July 2024
Verb
John Fabiano was documenting the working dogs of the country and visited a wool farm during sheering season. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The breastplate transitions to sheer under the bustline, with black, gold and silver streaks cascading down. Maggie Clancy, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
Following the more fashion-forward design direction, there are also touches of on-trend sheer, alongside tidy tailoring, slimmer silhouettes and shorter hems. Booth Moore, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024 And all that is well before the unearned sentimentality of the ending – which Driver comes damn close to pulling off on sheer will alone. Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sheer 

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 10 Dec. 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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