sheer

adjective
UK: /ʃɪər/
US: /ʃɪr/

  1. Very thin or transparent.

    1. She wore a sheer dress to the party.
    2. The curtains were so sheer, you could see right through them so easily.

  2. Complete and total.

    1. It was sheer luck that we found the place.
    2. The sheer volume of work made it impossible to complete on time so quick.

  3. (especially of a cliff or wall) very steep; almost vertical.

    1. The mountain has a sheer drop on the north side.
    2. The climbers faced a sheer rock face, making the ascent incredibly more difficult.

Synonyms

transparent abrupt utter thin steep delicate complete
sheer verb

  1. To change direction suddenly.

    1. The car seemed to sheer off the road.
    2. The boat sheered sharply to avoid the iceberg that so dangerously close.

  2. To avoid.

    1. She tried to sheer away from the conversation.
    2. He sheered away from discussing his past for a very important reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "sheer" in English means: Very thin or transparent., Complete and total., (especially of a cliff or wall) very steep; almost vertical..

The phonetic transcription of "sheer" is /ʃɪər/ in British English and /ʃɪr/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "sheer": transparent, abrupt, utter, thin, steep, delicate, complete.

Example usage of "sheer": "She wore a sheer dress to the party.". More examples on the page.