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Literary notes about sheer (AI summary)

In literature, “sheer” functions as an intensifier that emphasizes the pure or unmitigated nature of a quality or force. Authors deploy it to underscore extremes—whether in describing emotions, physical attributes, or actions. It connotes complete absence of dilution, as when folly is rendered unadulterated [1] or when a character’s nervousness drives impulsive acts [2]. At times, it heightens the dramatic impact of a scene, labeling experiences as moments of pure terror [3] or delight [4]. It also serves in a literal sense to describe physical steepness, such as a cliff’s vertical drop [5], and in abstract terms to denote unmitigated patriotism or love [6][7]. Overall, “sheer” is a versatile modifier that enriches descriptions by signaling an absolute and often overwhelming quality.
  1. She is not actuated by malevolence, but sheer, heedless folly.
    — from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  2. My dear boys, what can you expect from a man who out of sheer nervousness had just flung overboard a pair of new shoes!
    — from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  3. “They swore aloud together—out of sheer fright, I believe—then pretending not to know anything of my existence, turned back to the station.
    — from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  4. The Mole fell backwards on the snow from sheer surprise and delight.
    — from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  5. It is situated at the foot of a rock with a sheer descent of more than a hundred feet.
    — from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
  6. No motives but motives of sheer patriotism?
    — from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  7. Is it sheer love of their species, and an unadulterated wish to see young people happy and dancing?
    — from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

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