Word family noun sharpener sharpness sharp adjective sharp verb sharpen adverb sharp sharply sharpish
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsharpsharp1 /ʃɑːp $ ʃɑːrp/ ●●● S3 W2 adjective (comparative sharper, superlative sharpest) 1 able to cut easilySHARP having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily OPP blunt Make sure you use a good sharp knife. Its teeth are razor sharp (=very sharp).2 turnTURN a sharp turn or bend changes direction suddenly We came to a sharp bend in the road.sharp left/right Take a sharp left after the church.3 increase/changeSUDDENLY a sharp increase, rise, fall etc happens suddenly and is great in amount SYN steep a sharp increase in prices a sharp fall in unemployment4 differenceCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND sharp differences are very big and very noticeable sharp differences of opinion There is a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics. His honesty is in sharp contrast to (=very different from) some other politicians.5 pain/feelingsHURT/CAUSE PAIN a sharp pain or feeling is sudden and severe OPP dull I felt a sharp pain in my back. I was left with a sharp sense of disappointment. 6 disapprovingCRITICIZE speaking in a way that shows you disapprove of something or are annoyed OPP mild a sharp rebuke John’s tone was sharp. The boss can be very sharp with people when she’s busy.somebody has a sharp tongue (=they speak in a very disapproving way which often upsets people)7 intelligentINTELLIGENT able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceived OPP dull, stupid a journalist with an extremely sharp mind8 → keep a sharp eye on somebody9 pencilSHARP having a very thin point that can draw an exact line OPP blunt Make sure your pencils are sharp before we begin the test.10 soundCSLOUD/NOISY a sharp sound or cry is loud, short, and sudden a sharp cry of pain a sharp intake of breath11 tasteCTSOUR having a slightly bitter taste OPP mild sharp cheddar cheese Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste. 12 clothesSMART/WELL-DRESSED attractive and fashionable SYN smart British English Tod looked really sharp in his tux. a sharp suit13 shapeTHIN PERSON not rounded or curved sharp features Her mother had a sharp little nose.14 image/pictureCLEAR/EASY TO SEE if an image or picture is sharp, you can see all the details very clearly OPP fuzzy The outlines of the trees were sharp and clear.15 good at noticing thingsNOTICE able to see and notice details very wella sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)16 music a) F sharp/D sharp/C sharp etcAPM a musical note that is sharp has been raised by one semitone from the note F, D, C etc b) APMif music or singing is sharp, it is played or sung at a slightly higher pitch than it should be → flat1(9), → natural1(10) 17 → sharp wind/frost18 → sharp practice19 → be on the sharp end (of something) —sharpness noun [uncountable] → sharplyTHESAURUSsharp having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easilya sharp knifeThe dog’s teeth were very sharp.Be careful. That knife’s very sharp.You’ll need some sharp scissors.Puppies mean to be playful, but their sharp teeth can give you a nasty bite.jagged having an irregular edge with a lot of sharp pointsa jagged rockThe floor was covered with jagged pieces of glass.spiky having a lot of thin sharp pointsa spiky cactus plantThe hedgehog uses its spiky fur for protection.Some corals are quite smooth, others are sharp and spiky.prickly covered in a lot of small sharp points – used mainly about plantsa prickly bushprickly leavesThe hedge was all prickly.serrated a serrated edge on a saw or knife has a lot of sharp points on itIt’s best to use a knife with a serrated edge.razor-sharp extremely sharpThe cat had razor-sharp claws.not sharpblunt not sharp – used about tools, weapons, or pencilsAll the kitchen knives were blunt.a blunt pencilThe woman had been attacked with a blunt instrument. Examples from the Corpus
sharp• There's no point lying to her - she's much too sharp.• Colours were brighter, but less sharp.• Her skin is wrinkled, her face cruel and knowing, her fingers bony and sharp.• Be careful. That knife's very sharp.• I like this marmalade. It's very sharp.• Those lawyers are razor sharp, and you've got to be careful about every single word you say.• sharp Cheddar cheese• There is not always a sharp distinction between murder and manslaughter.• Paula's a very sharp dresser, so I always have her go shopping with me.• The lemon juice gives the dressing its sharp flavour.• That puts the importance of the order in sharp focus.• The wind blew across the lake in sharp gusts.• A very sharp increase might have persuaded some Fed officials to push for higher rates to restrain inflation.• Peel the apples using a sharp knife.• The drink had a very sharp lemony taste.• The chill in the air caught me by surprise, a sharp mountain night breeze.• Mia has a sharp nose and very dark eyes.• Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharp outlines - almost like children's comics.• "Clear, sharp photos every time, " the advertisement promised.• This TV set gives you a very sharp picture.• The current offensive has provoked a sharp recession, with investment, construction, travel and commerce suffering badly.• The clarity of light throws everything into sharp relief against a backdrop of clear blue sky.• a sharp rise in prices• lawyers in sharp suits• Puppies mean to be playful, but their sharp teeth can give you a nasty bite.• After a sharp turn in the path, they are suddenly approaching a faint square of light.• Hey, you look sharp. Where'd you get the suit?• a sharp young attorneyrazor sharp• Perfection is cold and clinical, every angle precise, every edge razor sharp and according to plan.• The once razor sharp blades have been replaced by wooden ones tipped with rubber.• All these notions are laid on the table and dissected one-by-one with razor sharp perception and humor.• No one noticed the dark stain of blood that spread from the tip of a razor sharp stiletto knife in his coat pocket.• The Hunter's razor sharp teeth now turned their attention to him.sharp left/right• Turn sharp left 80yds before a conifer windbreak.• Pass over a broken wall and turn sharp right.• She walked almost to the edge of the cliff, where the road made a sharp left.• Turn sharp right downhill and uphill to go through another gate.• For this you turn sharp right off the road from Saint-Jean to Saint-Palais, about half-way between those two towns.• Turn left along this road for three quarters of a mile until the road turns sharp right to become Marsh Road.• We made a rocky, wet entry, and then took a sharp right turn along a wall.• There was a sharp left turn at the bottom into Ruskin Road. in sharp contrast to• Last year's prodigy, in sharp contrast, endured the most miserable day of his short and spectacular formula one career.• That was in sharp contrast to a 6. 5 % decline for all of 1994.• The shares opened at 28p yesterday, in sharp contrast to a high of 233p in August 1988.• His lack of hypocrisy is in sharp contrast to some politicians.• This is in sharp contrast to the approach of traditional neo-classical economics.• Cactus-covered buttes stand in sharp contrast to the blue water, making this an idyllic spot for a getaway.• We shared a moment of worry that stood in sharp contrast to the celebration exploding around us.be ... sharp with• Roper, who is as sharp with a put-down as he is with a knockdown, has run out of worthy opponents.• She was prickly and sharp with him, and only too obviously relieved to make her escape.• As he walked home, Fagin's eyes were sharp with suspicion.• Her voice was sharp with urban assertiveness.sharpsharp2 adverb 1 → at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp2 → sharp left/right3 → look sharp4 APMplayed or sung at a slightly higher pitch than is correct → flatExamples from the Corpus
sharp• The performance starts at 8 o'clock sharp.sharpsharp3 noun [countable] 1 APMa musical note that has been raised one semitone above the note written2 APMthe sign (#) in a line of written music, used to show that a musical note should be raised → flat2(3)SharpSharp trademark a brand (=type) of electronic products, that includes televisions, stereo systems, and DVD players, made by the Japanese company SharpFrom Longman Business Dictionarysharpsharp /ʃɑːpʃɑːrp/ adjective a sharp increase, fall etc is very sudden and very biga sharp rise in interest ratesUnemployment generally brings a sharp fall in income.The group reported a sharp decline in full-year profits. —sharply adverbDuring that month, the share price fell sharply.House prices have risen sharply over the past year.Origin sharp1 Old English scearp 