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"2. not mixed with extraneous elements;
"plain water""sheer wine""not an unmixed blessing"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"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"