sharpen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
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to make or become sharp or sharper
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Usual US and Canadian word: sharp. music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sharpensimple
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sharpenssimple
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have sharpenedperfect
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has sharpenedperfect
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am sharpeningprogressive
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are sharpeningprogressive
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is sharpeningprogressive
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have been sharpeningperfect progressive
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has been sharpeningperfect progressive
Past
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sharpenedsimple
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had sharpenedperfect
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was sharpeningprogressive
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were sharpeningprogressive
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had been sharpeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sharpen
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at sharp, -en 1
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.
Sharpen your brain with one of the greatest works of all time, Bach’s “aria” and 30 variations supposedly written to amuse an insomniac count.
From The Guardian • Mar. 15, 2020
One idea to make schools better: Sharpen focus on counseling and inclusion for special-needs students.
From Washington Post • Oct. 31, 2018
Sharpen it at times, use it in the right places and otherwise you just shut the box on it for a while and try to be normal.
From BBC • Sep. 29, 2016
Ms. Herman, who has a new book out, “Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life,” came to her vocation in a roundabout way.
From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2016
"I've seen it done. Sharpen us a hawk's feather, Cutwater."
From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
