sharp

¹ American  

[shahrp] / ʃɑrp /

adjective

sharper, sharpest

1. having a thin cutting edge or a fine point; well-adapted for cutting or piercing.

   a sharp knife.

   Antonyms:

   dull

2. terminating in an edge or point; not blunt or rounded.

   The table had sharp corners.

3. involving a sudden or abrupt change in direction or course.

   a sharp curve in the road; The car made a sharp turn.

4. abrupt, as an ascent.

   a sharp drop.

5. consisting of angular lines and pointed forms or of thin, long features.

   He had a sharp face.

6. clearly defined; distinct.

   a sharp photographic image.

   Synonyms:

   clear

7. distinct or marked, as a contrast.

   sharp differences of opinion.

8. pungent or biting in taste.

   a sharp cheese.

   Synonyms:

   sour, piquant, bitter, acrid

9. piercing or shrill in sound.

   a sharp cry.

10. keenly cold, as weather.

    a sharp, biting wind.

    Synonyms:

    biting, nipping, piercing

11. felt acutely; intense; distressing.

    sharp pain.

    Synonyms:

    excruciating, severe

12. merciless, caustic, or harsh.

    sharp words.

    Synonyms:

    biting, pointed, acrimonious, acid, cutting, unmerciful

13. fierce or violent.

    a sharp struggle.

14. keen or eager.

    sharp desire.

15. quick, brisk, or spirited.

16. alert or vigilant.

    They kept a sharp watch for the enemy.

    Synonyms:

    attentive

17. mentally acute.

    a sharp lad.

    Synonyms:

    discriminating, clever, perspicacious, discerning

18. extremely sensitive or responsive; keen.

    sharp vision; sharp hearing.

19. shrewd or astute.

    a sharp bargainer.

20. shrewd to the point of dishonesty.

    sharp practice.

    Synonyms:

    deceitful, shady

21. Music.

    1. (of a tone) raised a chromatic half step in pitch.

       F sharp.

    2. above an intended pitch, as a note; too high (opposed to flat).

22. Informal. very stylish.

    a sharp dresser; a sharp jacket.

23. Radio, Electronics. of, relating to, or responsive to a very narrow range of frequencies.

24. Phonetics. fortis; voiceless.

25. composed of hard, angular grains, as sand.

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verb (used with object)

1. Music. to raise in pitch, especially by one chromatic half step.

verb (used without object)

1. to sound above the true pitch.

adverb

1. keenly or acutely.

2. abruptly or suddenly.

   to pull a horse up sharp.

3. punctually.

   Meet me at one o'clock sharp.

4. briskly; quickly.

   The horse turned sharp to the left.

5. Music. above the true pitch.

   You're singing a little sharp.

noun

1. something sharp.

2. Usually sharps a medium-length needle with a rounded eye and a sharp point, used for all-purpose hand sewing.

3. a sharper.

4. Informal. an expert.

5. Music.

   1. a tone one chromatic half step above a given tone.

   2. (in musical notation) the symbol ♯ indicating this.

idioms

1. look sharp. look.

Sharp ² American  

[shahrp] / ʃɑrp /

noun

1. William Fiona Macleod, 1855?–1905, Scottish poet and critic.

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sharp ¹ British  

/ ʃɑːp /

adjective

1. having a keen edge suitable for cutting

2. having an edge or point; not rounded or blunt

3. involving a sudden change, esp in direction

   a sharp bend

4. moving, acting, or reacting quickly, efficiently, etc

   sharp reflexes

5. clearly defined

6. mentally acute; clever; astute

7. sly or artful; clever in an underhand way

   sharp practice

8. bitter or harsh

   sharp words

9. shrill or penetrating

   a sharp cry

10. having an acrid taste

11. keen; biting

    a sharp wind

    sharp pain

12. music

    1. (immediately postpositive) denoting a note that has been raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone

       B sharp

    2. (of an instrument, voice, etc) out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitch Compare flat 1

13. phonetics a less common word for fortis

14. informal

    1. stylish

    2. too smart

15. involved in the area of any activity where there is most difficulty, competition, danger, etc

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adverb

1. in a sharp manner

2. exactly

   six o'clock sharp

3. music

   1. higher than a standard pitch

   2. out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitch Compare flat 1

      she sings sharp

noun

1. music

   1. an accidental that raises the pitch of the following note by one chromatic semitone

   2. a note affected by this accidental Compare flat 1

2. a thin needle with a sharp point

3. informal a sharper

4. (usually plural) any medical instrument with sharp point or edge, esp a hypodermic needle

verb

1. Usual equivalent in Britain and certain other countries): sharpen.  (tr) music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone

interjection

1. slang an exclamation of full agreement or approval

Sharp ² British  

/ ʃɑːp /

noun

1. Cecil ( James ). 1859–1924, British musician, best known for collecting, editing, and publishing English folk songs

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sharp More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sharp

• keep an eye (a sharp lookout) for
• look sharp

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Related Words

Sharp, keen refer to the edge or point of an instrument, tool, and the like. Sharp applies, in general, to a cutting edge or a point capable of piercing: a sharp knife; a sharp point. Keen is usually applied to sharp edges: a keen sword blade. As applied to mental qualities, sharp, keen, intelligent, quick have varying implications. Sharp suggests an acute, sensitive, alert, penetrating quality: a sharp mind. Keen implies observant, incisive, and vigorous: a keen intellect. Intelligent means not only acute, alert, and active, but also able to reason and understand: an intelligent reader. Quick suggests lively and rapid comprehension, prompt response to instruction, and the like: quick at figures.

Other Word Forms

• oversharp adjective
• sharply adverb
• sharpness noun
• supersharp adjective
• ultrasharp adjective
• unsharp adjective
• unsharped adjective
• unsharping adjective
• unsharply adverb
• unsharpness noun

Etymology

Origin of sharp

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English; Old English scearp; cognate with German scharf; (adverb) Middle English; Old English scearpe, derivative of the adjective; (noun, verb) Middle English, derivative of the adjective

Explanation

Something with a thin edge or a fine point that can cut is sharp. It's painful when your dog climbs into your lap, poking you with his sharp toenails. A knife and a pointed stick are sharp, since they can pierce or cut, and a piercing pain in your neck is also sharp. You can also use sharp to describe a smart person or clever decision — or someone who dresses well, or the clothes such a person wears. Sharp also means clear, like sharp images in a book of black and white photography, or sudden, like a sharp turn in a mountain road.

Example Sentences

"When I played him in Yushan he seemed pretty sharp and it was a very high-quality match," said 2005 world champion Murphy.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Recognition has two edges and they both happen to be sharp.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

In March, dollar-denominated exports from China grew by a mere 2.5% from a year earlier—a sharp drop-off from the 22% jump witnessed in January and February.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

For its part, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing —the world’s largest contract chip maker—reported a sharp rise in quarterly profit on Thursday.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

The feathers surrounding her eyes were smeared with berry pulp and groomed into sharp points.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• acute
• bright
• brilliant
• fast
• intelligent
• nimble
• quick
• slick
• smart
• subtle