having a thin cutting edge or a fine point; well-adapted for cutting or piercing: a sharp knife.
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.
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.
merciless, caustic, or harsh: sharp words.
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.
mentally acute: a sharp lad.
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 flat1 def. 26b).
Informal. very stylish: a sharp dresser; a sharp jacket.
Radio, Electronics. of, relating to, or responsive to a very narrow range of frequencies.Compare broadband.
Phonetics. fortis; voiceless.
composed of hard, angular grains, as sand.
verb (used with object)
Music. to raise in pitch, especially by one chromatic half step.
verb (used without object)
to sound above the true pitch.
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
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 for sharp
look sharp. look (def. 36).
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
1. 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.17. 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.
The scientists focused on skeletons showing signs of trauma — especially injury with sharp objects.
Women like Mulan didn’t need to go to war in disguise|Bethany Brookshire|September 4, 2020|Science News For Students
The employer result has remained above 70% since March, while all levels of government have seen sharp declines.
Workers trust their employers during the pandemic—for now|Alan Murray|September 3, 2020|Fortune
Because it will take less pressure to cut through a given substance, a sharp knife is also a safer knife.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
You have to give people the opportunity to weigh in on challenges and work and I think the diverse POVs that are looking at one particular object really creates sharper work.
Deep Dive: How companies and their employees are facing the future of work|Digiday|September 1, 2020|Digiday
Similarly, other studies have found sharp regional differences in mask-wearing.
In The Time Of The COVID-19 Pandemic, What Should You Say To Someone Who Refuses To Wear A Mask? A Philosopher Weighs In|LGBTQ-Editor|August 30, 2020|No Straight News
To unwind, Sharp takes long showers, and stops himself from separating his food on his plate as Christopher would.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sharp has spent so long being Christopher he can just “drop into him and stay in him consistently” before a performance.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sharp was born in London, and spent the first seven years of his life traveling with his family around the US.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Long before rehearsals began, Sharp started to embody Christopher.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Everything for someone like Christopher is over-stimulation,” Sharp says.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I do not remember much else about it; indeed, the pain in my arm was so sharp that I had no eyes for physical features.
Ayesha|H. Rider Haggard
A soft breeze brought us the thrilling sounds of sharp firing, the crackling of machine-guns.
Six Women and the Invasion|Gabrielle Yerta
Just then an aide rode up, and the Colonel gave a sharp command which put an end to this desultory talk.
The Crisis, Complete|Winston Churchill
One sharp word from Stewart calmed Madeline's horse; the other horses, however, were frightened and not inclined to stand.
The Light of Western Stars|Zane Grey
Beside it, a tall needle of rock, serrated and sharp, shot up.
My New Curate|P.A. Sheehan
British Dictionary definitions for sharp (1 of 2)
sharp
/ (ʃɑːp) /
adjective
having a keen edge suitable for cutting
having an edge or point; not rounded or blunt
involving a sudden change, esp in directiona sharp bend
moving, acting, or reacting quickly, efficiently, etcsharp reflexes
clearly defined
mentally acute; clever; astute
sly or artful; clever in an underhand waysharp practice
bitter or harshsharp words
shrill or penetratinga sharp cry
having an acrid taste
keen; bitinga sharp wind; sharp pain
music
(immediately postpositive)denoting a note that has been raised in pitch by one chromatic semitoneB sharp
(of an instrument, voice, etc) out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitchCompare flat 1 (def. 23)
phonetics a less common word for fortis
informal
stylish
too smart
at the sharp endinvolved in the area of any activity where there is most difficulty, competition, danger, etc
adverb
in a sharp manner
exactlysix o'clock sharp
music
higher than a standard pitch
out of tune by being or tending to be too high in pitchshe sings sharp Compare flat 1 (def. 29)
noun
music
an accidental that raises the pitch of the following note by one chromatic semitoneUsual symbol: ♯
a note affected by this accidentalCompare flat 1 (def. 35)
a thin needle with a sharp point
informala sharper
(usually plural)any medical instrument with sharp point or edge, esp a hypodermic needle
verb
(tr)music, US and Canadianto raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitoneUsual equivalent in Britain and certain other countries): sharpen
interjection
Southern Africanslangan exclamation of full agreement or approval
Derived forms of sharp
sharply, adverbsharpness, noun
Word Origin for sharp
Old English scearp; related to Old Norse skarpr, Old High German scarpf, Old Irish cerb, Lettish skarbs
British Dictionary definitions for sharp (2 of 2)
Sharp
/ (ʃɑːp) /
noun
Cecil (James). 1859–1924, British musician, best known for collecting, editing, and publishing English folk songs