I. sharp 1 S3 W2 /ʃɑːp $ ʃɑːrp/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative sharper , superlative sharpest )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ sharpener , ↑ sharpness , ↑ sharp ; adverb : ↑ sharp , ↑ sharply , ↑ sharpish ; verb : ↑ sharpen ; adjective : ↑ sharp ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: scearp ]
1 . ABLE TO CUT EASILY 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 . TURN 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/CHANGE a sharp increase, rise, fall etc happens suddenly and is great in amount SYN steep :
a sharp increase in prices
a sharp fall in unemployment
4 . DIFFERENCE 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/FEELINGS 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 . DISAPPROVING 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 . INTELLIGENT able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceived OPP dull , stupid :
a journalist with an extremely sharp mind
8 . keep a sharp eye on somebody to watch someone very carefully, especially because you do not trust them:
Keep a sharp eye on the kids at all times!
9 . PENCIL 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 . SOUND a sharp sound or cry is loud, short, and sudden:
a sharp cry of pain
a sharp intake of breath
11 . TASTE having a slightly bitter taste OPP mild :
sharp cheddar cheese
Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste.
12 . CLOTHES attractive and fashionable SYN smart British English :
Tod looked really sharp in his tux.
a sharp suit
13 . SHAPE not rounded or curved:
sharp features
Her mother had a sharp little nose.
14 . IMAGE/PICTURE 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 THINGS able to see and notice details very well
a sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)
16 . MUSIC
a) F sharp/D sharp/C sharp etc a musical note that is sharp has been raised by one ↑ semitone from the note F, D, C etc
b) if music or singing is sharp, it is played or sung at a slightly higher ↑ pitch than it should be ⇨ ↑ flat 1 (9), ↑ natural 1 (10)
17 . WEATHER sharp wind/frost a very cold wind or a severe ↑ frost :
A sharp wind blew across the lake.
18 . sharp practice British English behaviour, especially in business, that is dishonest but not illegal:
He’s been guilty of sharp practice in the past.
19 . be on the sharp end (of something) British English informal to experience the worst effects of something:
We were always on the sharp end of clients’ complaints.
—sharpness noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑ sharply
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ sharp having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily:
a sharp knife
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The dog’s teeth were very sharp.
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Be careful. That knife’s very sharp.
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You’ll need some sharp scissors.
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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 points:
a jagged rock
|
The floor was covered with jagged pieces of glass.
▪ spiky having a lot of thin sharp points:
a spiky cactus plant
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The hedgehog uses its spiky fur for protection.
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Some corals are quite smooth, others are sharp and spiky.
▪ prickly covered in a lot of small sharp points – used mainly about plants:
a prickly bush
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prickly leaves
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The hedge was all prickly.
▪ serrated a serrated edge on a saw or knife has a lot of sharp points on it:
It’s best to use a knife with a serrated edge.
▪ razor-sharp extremely sharp:
The cat had razor-sharp claws.
■ not sharp
▪ blunt not sharp – used about tools, weapons, or pencils:
All the kitchen knives were blunt.
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a blunt pencil
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The woman had been attacked with a blunt instrument.
II. sharp 2 BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ sharpener , ↑ sharpness , ↑ sharp ; adverb : ↑ sharp , ↑ sharply , ↑ sharpish ; verb : ↑ sharpen ; adjective : ↑ sharp ]
1 . at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp at exactly 10.30, 2.00 etc:
We’re meeting at one thirty sharp.
2 . sharp left/right British English if you turn sharp left or right, you make a sudden change of direction to the left or right:
You turn sharp right at the crossroads.
3 . look sharp British English old-fashioned used to tell someone to do something quickly:
If you look sharp, you might catch him before he leaves for London.
4 . played or sung at a slightly higher ↑ pitch than is correct ⇨ flat
III. sharp 3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ sharpener , ↑ sharpness , ↑ sharp ; adverb : ↑ sharp , ↑ sharply , ↑ sharpish ; verb : ↑ sharpen ; adjective : ↑ sharp ]
1 . a musical note that has been raised one ↑ semitone above the note written
2 . the sign (\#) in a line of written music, used to show that a musical note should be raised
⇨ ↑ flat 2 (3)