The phrase "shear amount" refers to a large or significant quantity or extent of something. It implies that there is a noticeable or substantial amount of whatever is being talked about. Full definition
Although life may be spread throughout the cosmos just by the shear amount of planets, all in all, the universe is NOT tuned for life. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
@him: i lack the words to be able to describ the shear amount of ignorance you exude from your posts. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
i remember great days under the clinton admin where the employees, not the employers had the power to choose where they worked and how much they would be paid just due to the shear amount of work out there. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)