Definition of sheer - Reverso English Dictionary
Adjective
1.
emphasisused to emphasize the large amount or degree of something
- The sheer size of the building was overwhelming.
2.
intensitycomplete or absolute, without any mixture
- His sheer determination led him to success.
3.
geographyextremely steep or vertical, almost perpendicular
- The mountain had a sheer cliff face.
4.
textilesRare very thin or transparent, allowing light to pass throughRare
- She wore a sheer blouse that was almost see-through.
Adverb
1.
intensitycompletely or absolutely
- The view was sheer breathtaking.
2.
directionRare steeply or perpendicularlyRare
- The path rose sheer from the valley.
Verb
1.
change directionintr. turn sharply; swerveintr.
- The car sheered to avoid hitting the deer..
2.
cause deviationtr. Rare cause something to swerve or deviatetr. Rare
- The captain sheered the vessel to port.
Noun
1.
nautical curveDated the curve of a ship's deck from bow to sternDated
- The ship's sheer was elegantly designed.
2.
nautical swerveDated abrupt swerve from a ship's courseDated
- The captain ordered a sheer to avoid collision.
Expressions with sheer
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event happening by pure chance or luck
Winning the lottery was a sheer fluke.
extremely unpleasant or difficult experience
The traffic jam was sheer hell for commuters.
act of taking something in a very unfair way
Charging that much for water is sheer robbery!
boldness in a disrespectful manner
He had the sheer cheek to interrupt the meeting.
happening only because of luck or chance
He won the contest by sheer fluke.
done purely without knowledge or awareness
He insulted her out of sheer ignorance.
unfairly high price or charge
Paying $10 for water? That's sheer robbery!
extreme foolishness or irrationality
It's sheer lunacy to hike alone here after dark.
complete chaos and disorder in a situation
When the fire alarm went off, it's sheer pandemonium.
move suddenly to avoid something
The car sheered away from the oncoming truck.
stubborn determination to achieve something difficult
She succeeded through sheer bloody-mindedness.
happening only because of chance, not planned
We met by sheer accident at the airport.
using only great physical strength or power
He opened the door by sheer brute force.
happening only because of luck or coincidence
We met by sheer chance at the airport.
happening only because of chance, with no planning
We met by sheer coincidence at the airport.
happening only because of chance, not skill or planning
He found his lost keys by sheer luck.
acting because there is no other option
He worked two jobs from sheer necessity.
because there are no other choices left
He called her out of sheer desperation.
because it is only a usual repeated action
He checked his phone out of sheer habit.
because of only wanting to cause playful trouble or annoyance
He hid my keys out of sheer mischief.
because there is no other possible choice
He started working nights out of sheer necessity.
event happening by complete accident or luck
Winning the lottery was sheer chance.
sudden and significant decrease
The stock market experienced a sheer drop in prices.
process of making decisions with no evidence or reasoning
His answer was just sheer guesswork.
Origin of sheer
Old English, scīr (bright, clear)
Terms with sheer included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
sheer material
transparent or translucent, allowing light to pass through
dance
non-sheer garment worn by dancers
sheer clothing
clothing made of thin material revealing the body
fabric
light sheer fabric made from silk or nylon
fabric
very fine, sheer fabric
sheer fabric
light leno-weave fabric often used for curtains or dresses
textiles
sheer fabric made of silk, rayon, or nylon
textile
very thin, sheer cotton fabric often used for clothing
Examples of sheer in a sentence
Her sheer determination led to success. The sheer size of the mountain was overwhelming. She was amazed by the sheer volume of information available. The sheer rock wall was daunting to climbers. They admired the sheer drop from the safety of the lookout. The curtains were made of sheer fabric.
Her dress was sheer and elegant. The performance was sheer amazing. His success was sheer unbelievable. The cliff dropped sheer into the ocean below. The road climbed sheer up the mountainside. The cyclist sheered to avoid the pothole. The boat sheered to the left due to strong winds. He sheered the car to avoid the obstacle. The pilot sheered the plane away from turbulence. The sheer of the yacht was quite pronounced. Designers focused on the sheer for better stability. The sudden sheer caught everyone off guard. A sheer was necessary to navigate the narrow channel.
View all translations of sheer
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:énorme, absolument, ...
- German:schier, völlig, ...
- Italian:vasto, assolutamente, ...
- Spanish:enorme, absolutamente, ...
- Portuguese:enorme, absolutamente, ...
- Chinese:巨大的, 绝对, ...
- Japanese:圧倒的な, まったく, ...
- Arabic:خالص, تَمامًا, ...
- Hebrew:עָצוּם, לַחֲלוּטִין, ...
- Russian:огромный, абсолютно, ...
- Ukrainian:величезний, абсолютно, ...
- Hindi:अत्यधिक, बिल्कुल, ...
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