Meaning of sheer In English

• 0 used to emphasize how very great, important, or powerful a quality or feeling is; nothing except:

  • The suggestion is sheer nonsense.

  • His success was due to sheer willpower/determination.

  • It was sheer coincidence that we met.

• 1 extremely steep; almost vertical:

  • a sheer mountain side

  • a sheer drop of 100 metres

• 2 Sheer clothing or material is so thin, light, and delicate that you can see through it:

  • sheer nylon tights

  • She wore a dress of the sheerest silk.

• 3 to change direction suddenly:

  • I thought the boats were going to collide, but one sheered off/away at the last second.

• 4 not mixed with anything else; pure or complete:

  • Some of those books are sheer magic.

• 5 (of size or weight) very large:

  • The sheer size of the engine makes it difficult to transport.

• 6 rising almost straight up or down; very steep:

  • She hauled herself up the sheer slope of the mountain.