In response to a shear as well as normal force, a solid deforms and develops a restoring force. Within the elastic limit, both types of deformation is reversible. A solid changes its shape under a shear. A normal force causes a change in its length or volume. If the elastic limit is exceeded, the solid gets an irreversible deformation called a permanent set.
A fluid, on the other hand, can only be subjected to normal compressive stress, called pressure. A fluid does not have a definite shape, so that under a shear it begins to flow, Real fluids, with non-zero viscosity, display a weak resistance to shear.