The difference between Mere and Sheer

When used as nouns, mere means a sea, whereas sheer means a sheer curtain or fabric.

When used as verbs, mere means to limit, whereas sheer means to swerve from a course.

When used as adjectives, mere means famous, whereas sheer means very thin or transparent.


Sheer is also adverb with the meaning: clean.

check bellow for the other definitions of Mere and Sheer

  1. Mere as a noun (obsolete):

    A sea.

  2. Mere as a noun (dialectal, or, literary):

    A body of standing water, such as a lake or a pond. More specifically, it can refer to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth. Also included in place names such as .

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Tennyson"

  1. Mere as a noun:

    Boundary, limit; a boundary-marker; boundary-line.

  1. Mere as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To limit; bound; divide or cause division in.

  2. Mere as a verb (intransitive, obsolete):

    To set divisions and bounds.

  3. Mere as a verb (cartography):

    To decide upon the position of a boundary; to position it on a map.

  1. Mere as an adjective (obsolete):

    Famous.

  1. Mere as an adjective (obsolete):

    Pure, unalloyed .

  2. Mere as an adjective (obsolete):

    Nothing less than; complete, downright .

    Examples:

    "I saved a mere 10 pounds this week."

  3. Mere as an adjective:

    Just, only; no more than , pure and simple, neither more nor better than might be expected.

  1. Mere as a noun:

    A Maori war-club.

  1. Sheer as an adjective (textiles):

    Very thin or transparent.

    Examples:

    "Her light, sheer dress caught everyone’s attention."

  2. Sheer as an adjective (obsolete):

    Pure in composition; unmixed; unadulterated.

  3. Sheer as an adjective (by extension):

    Downright; complete; pure.

    Examples:

    "I think it is sheer genius to invent such a thing."

    "This poem is sheer nonsense."

    "Through technological wizardry and sheer audacity, Google has shown how we can transform the intellectual riches of our libraries...."

  4. Sheer as an adjective:

    Examples:

    "The army's sheer size made it impossible to resist."

  5. Sheer as an adjective:

    Very steep; almost vertical or perpendicular.

    Examples:

    "It was a sheer drop of 180 feet."

  1. Sheer as an adverb (archaic):

    Clean; quite; at once.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Milton"

  1. Sheer as a noun:

    A sheer curtain or fabric.

    Examples:

    "Use sheers to maximize natural light."

  1. Sheer as a noun (nautical):

    The curve of the main deck or gunwale from bow to stern.

  2. Sheer as a noun (nautical):

    An abrupt swerve from the course of a ship.

  1. Sheer as a verb (chiefly, nautical):

    To swerve from a course.

    Examples:

    "A horse sheers at a bicycle."

  2. Sheer as a verb (obsolete):

    To shear.

    Examples:

    "rfquotek Dryden"