sheer

1 of 6

adjective

ˈshir 

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

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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

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noun (3)

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• cobwebby
• diaphanous
• filmy
• gauzelike
• gauzy
• gossamer
• gossamery
• see-through
• transparent

Verb

• detour
• deviate
• diverge
• swerve
• swing
• turn
• turn off
• veer
• wheel

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

Working in this season's favor was the sheer unpredictability from week to week in terms of who was aligned with whom and what would happen at Tribal Council. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024

There, along with accepting the Maverick Award, the actress wore a sheer gown with long sleeves and a high neck for the occasion. —Charna Flam, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Adverb

The model also went sheer at the Etro’s Milan Fashion Week spring 2025 show in September. —Violet Goldstone, WWD, 3 Dec. 2024

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

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

But soon enough, the headlines would also highlight her personal life, including four marriages and divorces — and her sheer will to survive. —Liz McNeil, People.com, 3 Dec. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing sheer

• sheer gall

Kids Definition

sheer

1 of 4 adjective

ˈshi(ə)r 

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"