edge
Americannoun
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edges
plural
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a line or border at which a surface terminates.
Grass grew along the edges of the road. The paper had deckle edges.
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a brink or verge.
the edge of a cliff; the edge of disaster.
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any of the narrow surfaces of a thin, flat object.
a book with gilt edges.
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a line at which two surfaces of a solid object meet.
an edge of a box.
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the thin, sharp side of the blade of a cutting instrument or weapon.
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the sharpness proper to a blade.
The knife has lost its edge.
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sharpness or keenness of language, argument, tone of voice, appetite, desire, etc..
The snack took the edge off his hunger. Her voice had an edge to it.
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British Dialect. a hill or cliff.
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an improved position; advantage.
He gained the edge on his opponent.
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Cards.
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advantage, especially the advantage gained by being the age or eldest hand.
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Ice Skating. one of the two edges of a skate blade where the sides meet the bottom surface, made sharp by carving a groove on the bottom.
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Skiing. one of the two edges on the bottom of a ski that is angled into a slope when making a turn.
verb (used with object)
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edges,
present (3rd person singular)
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edged,
past participle, past
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edging
present participle
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to put an edge on; sharpen.
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to provide with an edge or border.
to edge a terrace with shrubbery; to edge a skirt with lace.
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to make or force (one's way) gradually by moving sideways.
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Metalworking.
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to turn (a piece to be rolled) onto its edge.
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to roll (a piece set on edge).
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to give (a piece) a desired width by passing between vertical rolls.
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to rough (a piece being forged) so that the bulk is properly distributed for final forging.
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verb (used without object)
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edges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
edged,
past participle, past
-
edging
present participle
-
to move sideways.
to edge through a crowd.
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to advance gradually or cautiously.
a car edging up to a curb.
verb phrase
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edge in to insert or work in or into, especially in a limited period of time.
Can you edge in your suggestion before they close the discussion?
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edge out to defeat (rivals or opponents) by a small margin.
The home team edged out the visitors in an exciting finish.
idioms
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on edge,
-
(of a person or a person's nerves) acutely sensitive; nervous; tense.
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impatient; eager.
The contestants were on edge to learn the results.
-
-
set one's teeth on edge. tooth.
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have an edge on, to be mildly intoxicated with alcoholic liquor.
He had a pleasant edge on from the sherry.
noun
-
the border, brim, or margin of a surface, object, etc
-
a brink or verge
the edge of a cliff
the edge of a breakthrough
-
maths
-
a line along which two faces or surfaces of a solid meet
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a line joining two vertices of a graph
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-
the sharp cutting side of a blade
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keenness, sharpness, or urgency
the walk gave an edge to his appetite
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force, effectiveness, or incisiveness
the performance lacked edge
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dialect
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a cliff, ridge, or hillside
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(capital) (in place names)
Hade Edge
-
-
to have a slight advantage or superiority (over)
-
-
nervously irritable; tense
-
nervously excited or eager
-
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to make someone acutely irritated or uncomfortable
verb
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(tr) to provide an edge or border for
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(tr) to shape or trim (the edge or border of something), as with a knife or scissors
to edge a pie
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to push (one's way, someone, something, etc) gradually, esp edgeways
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(tr) cricket to hit (a bowled ball) with the edge of the bat
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(tr) to tilt (a ski) sideways so that one edge digs into the snow
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(tr) to sharpen (a knife, etc)
Usage
What is a basic definition of edge? The word edge most commonly refers to the sharp or angled side of an object or the place where something stops and something else starts—a border or margin. Edge is also used as a verb meaning to move sideways. Edge has many additional senses as both a noun and verb. When it’s used to refer to the side or tip of an object, the word edge often implies that it’s sharp or pointy.
- Real-life example: The sharp edge of a knife is the part that you use to cut things with.
- Used in a sentence: I accidentally gave myself a paper cut on the edge of the envelope.
- Real-life example: The edges of an object are its outermost borders or margins. When you write too close to the edge of a piece of paper, you might write on whatever’s next to it, like the surface of the table it’s on. The edge of a road is the point where it stops and something else begins, such as grass or a sidewalk. The edge of a cliff is the last point you can stand on before there is no more cliff and you will fall. This sense of the word can also be used in figurative ways, as in the edge of reality.
- Used in a sentence: The pencil rolled over the edge of the desk and fell on the floor.
- Used in a sentence: The boy edged past his sleeping father to sneak into the kitchen.
Synonym Usage
Edge, border, margin refer to a boundary. An edge is the boundary line of a surface or plane: the edge of a table. Border is the boundary of a surface or the strip adjacent to it, inside or out: a border of lace. Margin is a limited strip, generally unoccupied, at the extremity of an area: the margin of a page.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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edgernoun
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underedgenoun
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outedgeverb (used with object)
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unedgeverb (used with object)
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edgelessadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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edgesimple
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edgessimple
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have edgedperfect
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has edgedperfect
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am edgingprogressive
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are edgingprogressive
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is edgingprogressive
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have been edgingperfect progressive
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has been edgingperfect progressive
Past
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edgedsimple
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had edgedperfect
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was edgingprogressive
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were edgingprogressive
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had been edgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of edge
First recorded before 1000; Middle English egge, Old English ecg; cognate with German Ecke “corner”; akin to Latin acus “needle,” Greek akís “point”; see also acute ( def. ), egg 2
Explanation
The place where something begins or ends is called the edge. If you get too close to a cliff’s edge, you might fall off it. Going to the water's edge is not so dangerous. The part of a knife's blade that actually does the cutting is called the edge. Make sure you keep it sharp! This sense of sharpness is the image you want to have for the many figurative senses of this word. If someone speaks to you with an edge in his or her voice, be careful. They might be getting angry. And if you have an edge over someone, think of yourself as a little sharper because you have the advantage. Your years of training will give you the competitive edge over newcomers to the game. If your company is on the cutting edge of 3D technology, it is the industry leader.
Vocabulary lists containing edge
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This surplus of opulence is what gives the film its edge, too.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Last week saw wild swings that ended on a largely positive note on Friday, though investors remain on edge heading into a crucial earnings season that sees tech titans Tesla and Meta report this week.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Explosiveness, man,” Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"This year, all the people came together because when there are just a few people working alone at the edge of the village, the settlers attack. So all the families are working together today."
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Betsie and I found a spot on the edge of this area and sank gratefully down.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
As an exoplanet passes in front of its star, some starlight travels through the outer edges of its atmosphere before reaching the telescope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Over the course of four minutes, the robot fumbled with the towel’s floppy and unwieldy shape as it slowly smoothed out the fabric, located the corners and lined up the edges.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
I want onions slumped and browned at the edges.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Their luminous, pale surfaces are covered in geometric markings that could be a lost version of cuneiform, and the objects’ irregular edges bring to mind a puzzle long ago disassembled and dispersed to far-flung locales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
But when he says “Ida,” that name stretches on and on, with no rough edges or sharp turns.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
Oil prices edged up, with Brent hovering around $110 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate near $104, amid worries over Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
The Rams edged back in front with 47 seconds remaining as punter Ethan Evans took on the kicking duties to add the extra point after Colby Parkinson's touchdown.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which carries relatively little exposure to tech, edged lower by 0.3%, or 175 points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
They defeated the Pacific Islanders 3-0 in a hard-fought Test series at home three years ago - having previously edged to victory in a dramatic World Cup semi-final in Auckland in 2017.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Pinch tramped the edge of the lake and many times edged out as far as he could go on the rocky shore.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
In World Cup qualifying this year, England have performed well but have not won with ease, edging past Iceland and Spain and under-firing against Greece.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Seagate stock was edging down following a report it is competing with Toshiba over a crucial acquisition in the hard-disk drive space.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
She came in second behind Bass in the June 2 primary election, edging out the flashier and more attention-grabbing Spencer Pratt, a onetime reality television star.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A September spike in Treasury yields, which were edging higher Tuesday after climbing at the long end to the highest levels in decades, has sent bond prices lower in a broad and punishing selloff.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
I flew back through the trees, edging around the marsh and back toward home.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
