All 5 Uses of
sheer
in
1984 by Orwell
- Suddenly he began writing in sheer panic, only imperfectly aware of what he was setting down.
p. 8..4 (definition 1) *sheer = complete (used for emphasis)
- At the beginning he had no feeling except sheer incredulity.
p. 120..2 (definition 1)
- It was a sheer drop of ten or twenty metres, with boulders at the bottom.
p. 134..3 (definition 2) *sheer = so steep it is almost vertical
- It had been a rash act to come here at all, and sheer folly to arrive together; though it was true that they had come by different routes and only met on O'Brien's doorstep.
p. 167..9 (definition 1)sheer = complete (used for emphasis)
- He felt certain that O'Brien was about to twist the dial out of sheer wantonness.
p. 253..6 (definition 1)sheer = pure -- without other reasons
Definitions:
-
(1) (sheer as in: sheer fun) complete or pure -- without restriction, qualification, or other elements (used for emphasis)
-
(2) (sheer as in: a sheer cliff) so steep it is almost vertical