Synonyms for sheer
ʃɪərsheer

English Synonyms and Antonyms(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. sheer

   That is pure which is free from mixture or contact with anything that weakens, impairs, or pollutes. Material substances are called pure in the strict sense when free from foreign admixture of any kind; as, pure oxygen; the word is often used to signify free from any defiling or objectionable admixture (the original sense); we speak of water as pure when it is bright, clear, and refreshing, tho it may contain mineral salts in solution; in the medical and chemical sense, only distilled water (aqua pura) is pure. In moral and religious use pure is a strong word, denoting positive excellence of a high order; one is innocent who knows nothing of evil, and has experienced no touch of temptation; one is pure who, with knowledge of evil and exposure to temptation, keeps heart and soul unstained. Virtuous refers primarily to right action; pure to right feeling and motives; as, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God," Matt. v, 8. Compare FINE; INNOCENT.

   Synonyms:
   absolute, chaste, classic, classical, clean, clear, continent, genuine, guileless, guiltless, holy, immaculate, incorrupt, innocent, mere, perfect, pure, real, simple, spotless, stainless, true, unadulterated, unblemished, uncorrupted, undefiled, unmingled, unmixed, unpolluted, unspotted, unstained, unsullied, untainted, untarnished, upright, virtuous

   Antonyms:
   adulterated, defiled, dirty, filthy, foul, gross, immodest, impure, indecent, indelicate, lewd, mixed, obscene, polluted, stained, sullied, tainted, tarnished, unchaste, unclean

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. sheer

   Synonyms:
   pure, mere, unmixed, unqualified, unmitigated, absolute, simple, unadulterated

   Antonyms:
   mixed, qualified, adulterated, modified, partial

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. absolute, downright, out-and-out(a), rank(a), right-down, sheer(a)adjective

   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"

   Antonyms:
   impure, uncomplete, thick, gradual, incomplete

2. plain, sheer, unmingled, unmixedadjective

   not mixed with extraneous elements

   "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing"

   Synonyms:
   evident, bare, spare, gauzy, downright, unpatterned, uncompounded, cobwebby, unmixed, unornamented, vapourous, right-down, out-and-out(a), manifest, patent, absolute, vaporous, homely, see-through, unmingled, unvarnished, rank(a), gossamer, bluff, sheer(a), diaphanous, apparent, plain, bold, filmy, gauze-like, unembellished, transparent, unmistakable

   Antonyms:
   thick, incomplete, gradual, uncomplete, impure

3. bluff, bold, sheeradjective

   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:
   rank(a), transparent, sheer(a), absolute, cobwebby, vapourous, plain, diaphanous, right-down, see-through, vaporous, gossamer, filmy, bluff, bold, unmingled, gauze-like, unmixed, downright, gauzy, out-and-out(a)

   Antonyms:
   incomplete, gradual, thick, impure, uncomplete

4. diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gauze-like, gossamer, see-through, sheer, transparent, vaporous, vapourous, cobwebbyverb

   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:
   gauzy, vaporific, miasmic, vapourish, crystalline, cobwebby, unmixed, downright, vapourous, right-down, pellucid, out-and-out(a), absolute, vaporous, see-through, unmingled, vaporish, ethereal, rank(a), limpid, bluff, sheer(a), diaphanous, miasmal, gossamer, plain, bold, filmy, crystal clear, lucid, gauze-like, vapourific, guileless, transparent

   Antonyms:
   gradual, uncomplete, incomplete, impure, thick

5. swerve, sheer, curve, trend, veer, slue, slew, cutverb

   turn sharply; change direction abruptly

   "The car cut to the left at the intersection"; "The motorbike veered to the right"

   Synonyms:
   foreshorten, veer, bring down, wind, turn off, edit out, arch, twist, hack, trim down, write out, prune, thin, kink, cut, rationalize, trim back, trim, ignore, swerve, shorten, crook, edit, thin out, cut down, skip, abridge, reduce, rationalise, arc, contract, burn, dilute, curve, switch off, make out, geld, slew, disregard, tailor, cut off, turn out, snub, slue, slide, issue, cut back, abbreviate, trend, curl, slip, skid

   Antonyms:
   gradual, incomplete, uncomplete, impure, thick

6. sheeradverb

   cause to sheer

   "She sheered her car around the obstacle"

   Synonyms:
   slue, swerve, cut, trend, veer, slew, curve

   Antonyms:
   impure, incomplete, thick, uncomplete, gradual

7. sheer, perpendicularlyadverb

   straight up or down without a break

   Synonyms:
   perpendicularly

   Antonyms:
   gradual, thick, uncomplete, incomplete, impure

8. sheeradverb

   directly

   "he fell sheer into the water"

   Synonyms:
   perpendicularly

   Antonyms:
   impure, uncomplete, incomplete, gradual, thick

Matched Categories

1. • Turn

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. sheeradjective

   Synonyms:
   pure, unmixed, simple, mere, bare, naked

2. sheeradjective

   Synonyms:
   perpendicular

3. sheeradjective

   Synonyms:
   mainstay, chief support, main reliance

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. sheeradjective

   Synonyms:
   thin, unadulterated, pure, unmixed, precipitous, abrupt, perpendicular

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "sheer":

   pure, mere, simple, clean, purely

How to pronounce sheer?

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How to use sheer in a sentence?

1. Bill Bunting:

   Looking back on 2011, it was the sheer magnitude of the number of events, the fact that so many hit populated areas and, of course, the incredibly high toll in terms of deaths, injuries and dollar damage.

2. Peter Bartos:

   Given the sheer volume of air traffic over land its not too surprising that there could have been a fewdisappearances of aircraft, especially in remote regions where air traffic control isn't as tightly regulated or well equipped as in the United States or Western Europe.

3. Lowell Goddard:

   Public concern about institutional failure to protect children from sexual abuse has mounted with the growing realisation of the sheer scale of this problem.

4. Andrew Wyatt:

   Bill Cosby has vehemently proclaimed Bill Cosby innocence and continues to deny all allegations made against Bill Cosby, as being false, without the sheer evidence of any proof. Today, Bill Cosby continues to remain hopeful that the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court will issue an opinion to vacate Bill Cosby conviction or warrant Bill Cosby a new trial.

5. Laurence Tribe:

   The sheer power to appoint a Supreme Court justice when you've got the votes is not in question, the question is what principles apply.