sharp
adjective
having a thin cutting edge or a fine point; well-adapted for cutting or piercing.
sharp
1 American
[shahrp]
/ ʃɑrp /
adjective
-
sharper,
comparative
-
sharpest
superlative
-
having a thin cutting edge or a fine point; well-adapted for cutting or piercing.
a sharp knife.
- Antonyms:
- dull
-
terminating in an edge or point; not blunt or rounded.
The table had sharp corners.
-
involving a sudden or abrupt change in direction or course.
a sharp curve in the road; The car made a sharp turn.
-
abrupt, as an ascent.
a sharp drop.
-
consisting of angular lines and pointed forms or of thin, long features.
He had a sharp face.
-
clearly defined; distinct.
a sharp photographic image.
- Synonyms:
- clear
-
distinct or marked, as a contrast.
sharp differences of opinion.
-
pungent or biting in taste.
a sharp cheese.
-
piercing or shrill in sound.
a sharp cry.
-
keenly cold, as weather.
a sharp, biting wind.
-
felt acutely; intense; distressing.
sharp pain.
- Synonyms:
- excruciating, severe
-
merciless, caustic, or harsh.
sharp words.
- Synonyms:
- biting, pointed, acrimonious, acid, cutting, unmerciful
-
fierce or violent.
a sharp struggle.
-
keen or eager.
sharp desire.
-
quick, brisk, or spirited.
-
alert or vigilant.
They kept a sharp watch for the enemy.
- Synonyms:
- attentive
-
mentally acute.
a sharp lad.
- Synonyms:
- discriminating, clever, perspicacious, discerning
-
extremely sensitive or responsive; keen.
sharp vision; sharp hearing.
-
shrewd or astute.
a sharp bargainer.
-
shrewd to the point of dishonesty.
sharp practice.
-
Music.
-
(of a tone) raised a chromatic half step in pitch.
F sharp.
-
above an intended pitch, as a note; too high (opposed to flat).
-
-
Informal. very stylish.
a sharp dresser; a sharp jacket.
-
Radio, Electronics. of, relating to, or responsive to a very narrow range of frequencies.
-
Phonetics. fortis; voiceless.
-
composed of hard, angular grains, as sand.
verb (used with object)
-
sharps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sharped,
past participle, past
-
sharping
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
sharps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sharped,
past participle, past
-
sharping
present participle
adverb
-
keenly or acutely.
-
abruptly or suddenly.
to pull a horse up sharp.
-
punctually.
Meet me at one o'clock sharp.
-
briskly; quickly.
The horse turned sharp to the left.
-
Music. above the true pitch.
You're singing a little sharp.
noun
-
sharps
plural
-
something sharp.
-
Usually sharps a medium-length needle with a rounded eye and a sharp point, used for all-purpose hand sewing.
-
a sharper.
-
Informal. an expert.
-
Music.
-
a tone one chromatic half step above a given tone.
-
(in musical notation) the symbol ♯ indicating this.
-
idioms
Sharp
2
American
[shahrp]
/ ʃɑrp /
noun
sharp
1
British
/ ʃɑːp /
adjective
-
having a keen edge suitable for cutting
-
having an edge or point; not rounded or blunt
-
involving a sudden change, esp in direction
a sharp bend
-
moving, acting, or reacting quickly, efficiently, etc
sharp reflexes
-
clearly defined
-
mentally acute; clever; astute
-
sly or artful; clever in an underhand way
sharp practice
-
bitter or harsh
sharp words
-
shrill or penetrating
a sharp cry
-
having an acrid taste
-
keen; biting
a sharp wind
sharp pain
-
music
-
(immediately postpositive) denoting a note that has been raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone
B sharp
-
(of an instrument, voice, etc) out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitch Compare flat 1
-
-
phonetics a less common word for fortis
-
informal
-
stylish
-
too smart
-
-
involved in the area of any activity where there is most difficulty, competition, danger, etc
adverb
-
in a sharp manner
-
exactly
six o'clock sharp
-
music
-
higher than a standard pitch
-
out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitch Compare flat 1
she sings sharp
-
noun
-
music
-
an accidental that raises the pitch of the following note by one chromatic semitone
-
a note affected by this accidental Compare flat 1
-
-
a thin needle with a sharp point
-
informal a sharper
-
(usually plural) any medical instrument with sharp point or edge, esp a hypodermic needle
verb
interjection
Sharp
2
British
/ ʃɑːp /
noun
sharp
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
-
sharpnessnoun
-
unsharpnessnoun
-
oversharpadjective
-
supersharpadjective
-
ultrasharpadjective
-
unsharpadjective
-
unsharpedadjective
-
unsharpingadjective
-
sharplyadverb
-
unsharplyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sharpsimple
-
sharpssimple
-
have sharpedperfect
-
has sharpedperfect
-
am sharpingprogressive
-
are sharpingprogressive
-
is sharpingprogressive
-
have been sharpingperfect progressive
-
has been sharpingperfect progressive
Past
-
sharpedsimple
-
had sharpedperfect
-
was sharpingprogressive
-
were sharpingprogressive
-
had been sharpingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sharp
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 5
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Music - Introductory
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"Encounter"
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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:
Saturday will dawn with another sharp and widespread frost with the coldest conditions expected in England and Wales.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Centre Max Ojomoh, making his first appearance since an excellent performance against Argentina 12 months ago, was smart and sharp in midfield.
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2026
Recent data have shown a sharp drop in housing finance, while some economists predict this year’s fall in house prices could be the biggest on record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
The conflict in Ukraine has led to a sharp decline in Russian gas and oil deliveries to Europe, with Norway overtaking Russia as the continent's main supplier.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026
‘So it was Hugo all along,’ Will says, his breath coming out of him in a sharp whistle.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The study was led by graduate student Susmita Garai, along with Zachary Sharp, professor and director of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Peter Olson.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
It was not immediately clear what their relationship was with Robinson and Sharp.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
But the record-breaking tides this week took even Sharp by surprise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Sharp increases in fuel, gas and electricity prices, rationing and inflation at its highest in three years have dealt a painful blow to an economy only just recovering from its worst-ever crisis in 2022.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
“Yes,” Sharp said, “I would say that there is a slight possibility.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
At a recycling plant in Coventry, I watched staff sorting rubbish on a fast-moving conveyor belt when a crushed yellow sharps container suddenly appeared among the waste.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
No one associated with the musical knows whether a show so right for pastry puns set to sharps and flats can be a hefty source of … dough.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023
The old ones go into a sharps container — a sturdy plastic box — that he sends to Trac-B Exchange in Las Vegas, where they are sterilized and pulverized for safe disposal.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2022
They even found ways to put sharps containers out of sight, so that those who were nervous about shots weren’t fearful.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2022
When sharps and flats are used, remember that the alteration is always from the scale of the chord root, not from the key signature.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Formlines and trylines alike will be in sharper focus come Sunday evening.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
As the buildout becomes more debt-financed, leverage and funding costs are coming into sharper focus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Three key risks have been increasing, each with the potential for broader implications: an artificial intelligence-driven market correction, a sharper rise in sovereign bond yields, and cyberattacks,” the IMF said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
They also provide sharper images of particle tracks than conventional plastic detectors that require chemical etching.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
But now I know I am like the blade and he is like the whetstone— I am too strong to break so easily, and I become better, sharper, every time I touch him.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
The sharpest hits landed on everyday dinner staples: Lettuce jumped 8% in October alone, while beef steaks climbed 1.7%, butter jumped 2% and cheese rose 1.3%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026
It is Mungiu’s sharpest and most illuminating maneuver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Women showed their sharpest rise between ages 40 and 60, a period that broadly overlaps with the menopausal transition.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
That political pressure has been sharpest over data centers, the vast computing facilities the technology requires, with more and more communities worried about rising electricity bills and the strain on water and land.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
“He who climbs the highest tree has not the sharpest claws, but the strongest heart!”
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
These are some macho men of the old Southern tradition, and trying their final product usually consists of a gigantically sharped bushman’s knife hacking through a Fred Flintstone style brontosaurus size steak.
From Forbes ● Jan. 21, 2015
Hence didactic William sharped his own son out of board-money.
From Time Magazine Archive
A high, childish soprano voice was essaying to carry the sustained note an octave above the man's voice; once it sharped.
From Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley by Belle Kanaris Maniates
"And you left it?" she sharped, her voice tense.
From Further Foolishness by Stephen Leacock
Then did a sharped spyre of diamond bright, Ten feete each way in square, appeare to mee, Iustly proportion'd up unto his hight, So far as archer might his level see.
From The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5 by Edmund Spenser
Looking beyond individual commodities, three broader macro forces are also sharping the market, said Guy Wolf, global head of market analytics at Marex.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 13, 2026
Keaton’s comeback is the result, he says, of sharping his focus.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 13, 2014
Husky, usurious, "Doc" believed sharping made the victim sharp.
From Time Magazine Archive
With all this injustice, he is never a good case, but, like those among I men who live by sharping and robbing, he is generally poor.
From Time Magazine Archive
He waded, without any shame, Through thick and thin to get a name, Tried every sharping trick for bread, And after all he seldom sped.
From The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 1 by William Ernst Browning
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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.
