sharp
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ʃɑːp/
ipa: /ʃɑɹp/
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)p
Forms: form: sharper
form: sharpest
Etymology: From Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”).
Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scherp, scharp, schaarp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear.
Senses: examples: text: I keep my knives sharp so that they don't slip unexpectedly while carving.
text: Ernest made the pencil too sharp and accidentally stabbed himself with it.
text: A face with sharp features
text: Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.
ref: 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
text: If a knife which is sharp is incorrectly used it will obviously be dangerous.
ref: 1984, Michael Grater, Paper Mask Making, →ISBN, page 55:
text: Fifteen children reported handling curvos, five machetes, and one a sharp knife used to cut yellow leaves off the banana plants.
ref: 2002, Carol Pier, Tainted Harvest, →ISBN:
text: Yet, review of 25 years of English language literature on the subject of sharp force injury adds remarkably little to this topic. Sharp force covers a vast array of injuries produced with sharp objects capable of cutting or stabbing or both.
ref: 2006, Werner U. Spitz, Daniel J. Spitz, Russell S. Fisher, Spitz and Fisher's Medicolegal Investigation of Death, →ISBN:
glosses: Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
examples: text: My nephew is a sharp lad; he can count to 100 in six languages, and he's only five years old.
text: At school, despite his sharp mind, Malcolm was laughed at by teachers when he said he wanted to be a lawyer.
ref: 2015 February 20, Jesse Jackson, “In the Ferguson era, Malcolm X’s courage in fighting racism inspires more than ever”, in The Guardian (London):
glosses: Intelligent.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: Raised by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ♯ after the name of the note).
examples: text: The orchestra's third violin several times was sharp about an eighth of a tone.
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: Higher in pitch than required.
examples: text: Milly couldn't stand sharp cheeses when she was pregnant, because they made her nauseated.
text: This grapefruit is especially sharp.
glosses: Having a strong acrid or acidic taste.
examples: text: A pregnant woman during labor normally experiences a number of sharp contractions.
text: The man turned and made a sharp movement towards the door.
text: She wakened in sharp panic, bewildered by the grotesquerie of some half-remembered dream in contrast with the harshness of inclement fact, […]
ref: 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter II (Burglary), page 378, column 1:
glosses: Sudden, abrupt, intense, rapid.
examples: text: Michael had a number of sharp ventures that he kept off the books.
glosses: Illegal or dishonest.
examples: text: a sharp dealer, a sharp customer, sharp practice
text: But, as they have hitherto stood, a clergyman established in a competent living is not under the necessity of being so sharp, vigilant, and exacting.
ref: 1732, Jonathan Swift, Considerations Upon Two Bills:
glosses: Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interests; shrewd, verging on dishonest.
examples: text: You'll need sharp aim to make that shot.
text: Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.
ref: 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:
glosses: Exact, precise, accurate; keen.
examples: text: sharp criticism
text: When the two rivals met, first there were sharp words, and then a fight broke out.
text: The reviews have ranged from excellent (In Touch, Jan 76, and Gay Literature, Winter 76) to qualified praise (GCN, 6 Mar 76) to sharp attack (Allen Young in the current Gay Liberator; Allen calls it trivial and misogynist.
ref: 1976 August 14, John Mitzel, Richard Hall, “The Whodunit Writer: Why He Dun It”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 7, page 7:
glosses: Offensive, critical, or acrimonious; stern or harsh.
examples: text: You look so sharp in that tuxedo!
text: A sharp dresser partial to snakeskin shoes whose miniature Australian shepherd dog Saatchi is a constant fixture on family outings, [Donald] Tang's next move was to reinvent himself as a dealmaker connecting China with Hollywood amid growing demand for entertainment content in both countries.
ref: 2024 July 13, Laura Onita, Eleanor Olcott, “Shein's master of reinvention treads tricky path to IPO”, in FT Weekend, page 11:
glosses: Stylish, smart or attractive.
examples: text: Keep a sharp watch on the prisoners. I don't want them to escape!
glosses: Observant; alert; acute.
examples: text: Jones, the centre forward, made a sharp start to the game.
glosses: Quick and alert.
examples: text: a sharp contrast, a sharp distinction
glosses: Strongly distinguishing or differentiating; acute.
examples: text: Drive down Main for three quarters of a mile, then make a sharp right turn onto Pine.
text: a sharp turn or curve
text: The street down which Warwick had come intersected Front Street at a sharp angle in front of the old hotel, forming a sort of flatiron block at the junction, known as Liberty Point
ref: 1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:
glosses: Forming a small or tight angle; especially, forming an angle of less than ninety degrees.
examples: text: a sharp ascent or descent
glosses: Steep; precipitous; abrupt.
examples: text: Sure, any planar graph can be five-colored. But that result is not sharp: in fact, any planar graph can be four-colored. That is sharp: the same can't be said for any lower number.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Said of as extreme a value as possible.
raw_tags: of a statement
examples: text: Time and time again, the amateur player has lost the opportunity to make the really best move because he felt bound to follow some chess "rule" he had learned, rather than to make the sharp move which was indicated by the position.
ref: 1963, Max Euwe, Chess Master Vs. Chess Amateur, page xviii:
text: In such situations most chess players choose the obvious and logical way: they go in for sharp play. However, not everyone is a natural attacking player[…]
ref: 1975, Luděk Pachman, Decisive Games in Chess History, page 64:
topics: board-games
chess
games
glosses: Tactical; risky.
examples: text: a sharp pain; the sharp and frosty winter air
text: Sharp misery had worn him to the bones.
ref: c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
text: The night was Winter in his roughest mood; the morning sharp and clear.
ref: 1785, William Cowper, The Task: The Winter Walk at Noon:
text: In sharpest perils faithful proved, Let his soul love thee to the end.
ref: 1867, John Keble, “St. Peter's Release”, in J.G.Holland, editor, Christ and the Twelve: Scenes and Events in the Life of Our Saviour and His Apostles, page 424:
glosses: Piercing; keen; severe; painful.
examples: text: a sharp appetite
glosses: Eager or keen in pursuit; impatient for gratification.
examples: text: And fear of God, from whom their piety feign'd In sharp contest of battle found no aid Against invaders
ref: 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
text: A sharp assault already is begun;
ref: 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperor: Act III:
glosses: Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.
examples: text: Well-burnt good lime and sharp sand, if very sharp, a load of sand (about 36 bushels) to a hundred of lime (being 25 bushels, or a hundred pecks[…]
ref: 1700, Edward Moxon, Mechanical Exercises:
glosses: Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty.
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
phonetics
phonology
sciences
glosses: Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone; aspirated; unvoiced.
examples: text: “[W]hy this last week we ha'n't had nothing at all but some dry musty red herrings; so you may think, Miss, we're kept pretty sharp!”
ref: 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, II.iii.1:
text: “[…] It’s child’s play to find the stuff now. I’ve half a mind to dine first.”
“I don’t feel sharp,” growled Morgan.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
glosses: Hungry.
Synonyms: sense: able to cut easily
word: keen
sense: able to cut easily
word: razor
sense: able to cut easily
word: razor-sharp
sense: intelligent
word: brainy
sense: intelligent
word: bright
sense: intelligent
word: intelligent
sense: intelligent
word: keen
sense: intelligent
word: smart
sense: intelligent
word: witty
sense: able to pierce easily
word: pointed
sense: having an intense and acrid flavour
word: acrid
sense: having an intense and acrid flavour
word: pungent
sense: sudden and intense
word: abrupt
sense: sudden and intense
word: acute
sense: sudden and intense
word: stabbing
sense: illegal, dishonest
word: dishonest
sense: illegal, dishonest
word: dodgy
sense: illegal, dishonest
word: illegal
sense: illegal, dishonest
word: illicit
sense: illegal, dishonest
word: underhand
sense: accurate
word: accurate
sense: accurate
word: exact
sense: accurate
word: keen
sense: accurate
word: precise
sense: critical
word: acrimonious
sense: critical
word: bitter
sense: critical
word: cutting
sense: critical
word: harsh
sense: critical
word: hostile
sense: critical
word: nasty
sense: stylish, attractive
word: chic
sense: stylish, attractive
word: elegant
sense: stylish, attractive
word: smart
sense: stylish, attractive
word: stylish
sense: observant
word: acute
sense: observant
word: alert
sense: observant
word: keen
sense: observant
word: observant
sense: observant
word: sharp-eyed
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: battle-sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: besharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: bittersharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: dagger-sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: demisharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: laser-sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: look sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: needle-sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: nonsharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: not the sharpest knife in the drawer
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: not the sharpest pencil in the box
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: oversharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: pin-sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: razor sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: scary sharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp as a bowling ball
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp as a butter knife
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp as a tack
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-beaked ground finch
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpbill
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp cedar
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp cookie
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-cornered
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-edged
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-elbowed
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp elbows
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp end
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp end of one's tongue
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpfin
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: Sharpie
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpish
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpling
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharply
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpness
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-nosed
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-pointed
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp power
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp practice
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp rush
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp s
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp sand
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-set
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-shinned hawk
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-shod
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpshooting
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp short-lived head pain
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-sightedness
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharpster
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharptail
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharptailed
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-tailed grouse
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-tailed sandpiper
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-tailed sparrow
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-tailed streamcreeper
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp tongue
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-tongued
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-toothed
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: sharp-witted
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: shebang
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: short sharp shock
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: supersharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: ultrasharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: unsharp
sense: Terms derived from sharp (adjective)
word: Wuyi sharp-nosed frog