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sheer

/ʃɪr/
adjective
  1. Complete and total; nothing other than (used for emphasis).
    • It was sheer luck that she found her lost ring in the grass.
    • The sheer size of the mountain amazed the hikers.
    • He felt sheer joy when he heard the good news.
  2. Very steep; almost vertical.
    • The cliff dropped away in a sheer wall of rock.
    • The trail became a sheer climb up the mountainside.
    • They stared down the sheer slope of the canyon.
  3. (of fabric) very thin, light, and see-through.
    • She wore a sheer scarf over her shoulders.
    • The curtains were made of a sheer white material that let in the sunlight.
    • He chose a sheer silk blouse for the summer party.
Synonyms
absoluteuttersteeptransparent
adverb
  1. Completely or perpendicularly; straight up or down.
    • The mountain rose sheer from the valley floor.
    • The path dropped sheer into the ravine.
    • The building's wall went sheer for hundreds of feet.
verb
  1. To change direction suddenly, especially to avoid something.
    • The horse sheered off the path when it saw the snake.
    • The car sheered to the left to avoid hitting the deer.
    • The boat sheered away from the rocks just in time.
Synonyms
veerswerve
What does "sheer" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean