1
a
: unqualified, utter
sheer folly
sheer ignorance
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
sheerly
adverb
sheerness
noun
: a sheer fabric
also
: an article of such a fabric
1
: straight up or down without a break : perpendicularly
2
: in a complete manner : altogether
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
: the fore-and-aft curvature from bow to stern of a ship's deck as shown in side elevation
Synonyms
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
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
The sheer number of cyclists snarled traffic and prompted restrictions by the city's tourism-hungry officials, who had encouraged them to come.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 July 2024
Singer and model Ebony Riley went sheer in an LBD with a plunging V-neck and cutouts on the arms.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
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
Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2024
Its sheer, gauzy over-layer is embellished with black beaded floral motifs on the body and fringes that hung from the sleeves.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sheer 
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Adjective
The sheer scale of phones used in the study let the researchers correct individual bias by comparing the devices against each other.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
The sheer number of cyclists snarled traffic and prompted restrictions by the city's tourism-hungry officials, who had encouraged them to come.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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
Singer and model Ebony Riley went sheer in an LBD with a plunging V-neck and cutouts on the arms.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 27 Feb. 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
Natural light flows in the sliding glass doors, which are outfitted with sheers and blackout curtains for privacy and heat control.
—Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2024
Its sheer, gauzy over-layer is embellished with black beaded floral motifs on the body and fringes that hung from the sleeves.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sheer
Dictionary Entries Near sheer
Cite this Entry
“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheer. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sheer
1 of 4 adjective1
: 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 adverb1
: 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"
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