sheer meaning and definition

SHEER verb

Definition of sheer (verb)

1. turn sharply; change direction abruptly
   • "The car cut to the left at the intersection"; "The motorbike veered to the right"
   • synonyms: curve, cut, slew, slue, swerve, trend, veer
2. cause to sheer
   • "She sheered her car around the obstacle"

SHEER adjective

Definition of sheer (adjective)

1. complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
   • "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity"
   • synonyms: absolute, downright, out-and-out, rank, right-down
2. not mixed with extraneous elements
   • "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing"
   • synonyms: plain, unmingled, unmixed
3. very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front
   • "a bluff headland"; "where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise"; "a sheer descent of rock"
   • synonyms: bluff, bold
4. so thin as to transmit light
   • "a hat with a diaphanous veil"; "filmy wings of a moth"; "gauzy clouds of dandelion down"; "gossamer cobwebs"; "sheer silk stockings"; "transparent chiffon"; "vaporous silks"
   • synonyms: cobwebby, diaphanous, filmy, gauze-like, gauzy, gossamer, see-through, transparent, vaporous, vapourous

SHEER adverb

Definition of sheer (adverb)

1. straight up or down without a break
   • synonyms: perpendicularly
2. directly
   • "he fell sheer into the water"