sharp

¹

[ shahrp ]

adjective

, sharp·er, sharp·est.

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 ( flat ¹def 26b ).
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. Compare broadband.
24. Phonetics. fortis; voiceless.
25. composed of hard, angular grains, as sand.

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.

Sharp

²

[ shahrp ]

noun

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

Sharp

¹

/ ʃɑːp /

noun

1. SharpCecil (James)18591924MBritishMUSIC: musicianMUSIC: folk music collector Cecil ( James ). 1859–1924, British musician, best known for collecting, editing, and publishing English folk songs

sharp

²

/ 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. at the sharp end
    involved in the area of any activity where there is most difficulty, competition, danger, etc

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

interjection

1. slang.
   an exclamation of full agreement or approval

Derived Forms

• ˈsharpness, noun
• ˈsharply, adverb

Other Words From

• sharply adverb
• sharpness noun
• over·sharp adjective
• super·sharp adjective
• ultra·sharp adjective
• un·sharp adjective
• un·sharply adverb
• un·sharpness noun
• un·sharped adjective
• un·sharping adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sharp¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sharp¹

Old English scearp; related to Old Norse skarpr, Old High German scarpf, Old Irish cerb, Lettish skarbs

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. look sharp. look ( def 37 ).

More idioms and phrases containing sharp

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

“Ladies, we need to start considering the 4B movement like the women in South Korea and give America a severely sharp birth rate decline,” read one post on X with over 450,000 likes.

From Los Angeles Times

Focused on songs, bright colors and a world with no sharp edges, “CoComelon” has become a children’s media juggernaut, spawning spin-offs, video games, toys, a live tour and a story-time podcast.

From Los Angeles Times

The latest filings mark a sharp shift in tone from the city, which sued in April 2023 seeking the “return of these inadvertently produced photos to protect the lives and work of these undercover officers.”

From Los Angeles Times

This latest development will only bring the entire debate into sharper relief.

From BBC

“Didion & Babitz,” available Nov. 12, probes this Janus-like contrast until a sharp picture forms of Didion as the ambitious careerist and Babitz as her muse, who subsequently becomes a writer herself.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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