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
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
PCMAG, 11 Mar. 2025
While the sheer number of krill in the Southern Ocean means the species is unlikely to face an acute threat to its survival in the near term, Savoca is quick to point out that numbers are no guarantee of success.
—Gabe Castro-Root, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025
Renan Botelho, WWD, 14 Feb. 2025
The model also went sheer at the Etro’s Milan Fashion Week spring 2025 show in September.
—Violet Goldstone, WWD, 3 Dec. 2024
Andrea Bossi, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Decades of despair to sheer delight for Commanders fans: The Washington Commanders will be playing in the NFC championship game next Sunday, one game away from the Super Bowl.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
The gel-like texture goes on sheer but allows for buildable intensity—with color pairings ranging from a soft pink and caramel to a rich berry and chocolate combo.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheer
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Adjective
The individual cores may not be as powerful as those on the Mac Studio with M4 Max, but the sheer number of CPU and GPU cores will deliver top performance in the most demanding applications.
—PCMAG, 11 Mar. 2025
While the sheer number of krill in the Southern Ocean means the species is unlikely to face an acute threat to its survival in the near term, Savoca is quick to point out that numbers are no guarantee of success.
—Gabe Castro-Root, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025
Adverb
Related Articles Sara Desjardins Styled by Sarah Slutsky, Sara Desjardins went sheer in a sequinned mesh dress by Alex Perry paired with Alexandre Birman shoes.
—Renan Botelho, WWD, 14 Feb. 2025
The model also went sheer at the Etro’s Milan Fashion Week spring 2025 show in September.
—Violet Goldstone, WWD, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
Naked Dressing Naked dressing has been everywhere in recent years, from celebrity red carpet looks to sheer clothes for day-to-day wear.
—Andrea Bossi, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Decades of despair to sheer delight for Commanders fans: The Washington Commanders will be playing in the NFC championship game next Sunday, one game away from the Super Bowl.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
Nobody Saw This Coming The sheer unexpectedness of John Cena's heel turn at Elimination Chamber is a key reason fans reacted so strongly.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
The gel-like texture goes on sheer but allows for buildable intensity—with color pairings ranging from a soft pink and caramel to a rich berry and chocolate combo.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheer
Cite this Entry
“Sheer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheer. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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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