sharpen

[ shahr-puhn ]
See synonyms for: sharpensharpenedsharpening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to make or become sharp or sharper.

Origin of sharpen

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at sharp, -en1

Other words from sharpen

  • sharp·en·er, noun
  • pre·sharp·en, verb (used with object)
  • re·sharp·en, verb
  • un·sharp·ened, adjective
  • un·sharp·en·ing, adjective
  • well-sharpened, adjective

Words Nearby sharpen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sharpen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sharpen

sharpen

/ (ˈʃɑːpən) /


verb
  1. to make or become sharp or sharper

  2. music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone: Usual US and Canadian word: sharp

Derived forms of sharpen

  • sharpener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012