Modifying Another Word

• almost: Close behind it the formidable rocky face of Liathach rises almost sheer to its summit ridge.

• just: I could do it but it's just sheer bloody laziness on my part I'm afraid.

• not: You may not be aware, but the reason for this is not sheer chance, or that you were just feeling frivolous.

• only: There is little that is new, much that is simply repeated and re-hashed, and only sheer inertia has kept me plowing through.

• sometimes: Sometimes sheer will power has to make it roll the way you want.

• also: The rarities that make up the rest of the disk are also sheer delight.

Modifies a noun

• brilliance: A single episode, 45 minutes of sheer brilliance.

• cliff: You're on a narrow road with a sheer cliff on your side.

• volume: We were taken back by the sheer volume of people who attended last year.

• joy: The closing track is sheer joy, for example.

• delight: The crossing, about 90 minutes was sheer delight with interest all the way.

• determination: You will often think of giving up but sheer determination will keep you going and you will do your best.

Used with adjective complement

• rise: Close behind it the formidable rocky face of Liathach rises almost sheer to its summit ridge.

• plunge: At points where the mountain plunges sheer into the lake, wooden walkways lead over the water.