sharp
adjective · adverb · noun · verb
Simple meaning
Terminating in a point or edge.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
shahrpIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈʃɑɹp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
musicof a musical note
Raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone
music
Raised by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ♯ after the name of the note).
Having a strong acrid or acidic taste.
Sudden, abrupt, intense, rapid.
Exact, precise, accurate; keen.
adverb
In a sharp manner: a less usual alternative to sharply in certain senses.
To a point or edge.
Eagerly.
Piercingly.
So as to make a sharp, or tight, angle.
noun
A dishonest person; a cheater.
Part of a stream where the water runs very rapidly.
A sewing needle with a very slender point, more pointed than a blunt or a between.
An alert person.
in the plural
Fine particles of husk mixed with coarse particle of flour of cereals; middlings.
A Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products, headquartered in Sakai, Japan.
verb
To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.
Used this way, sharp is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A quick and penetrating intelligence.
In an aggressive manner.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Large grouse of prairies and open forests of western North America.
A bitter or critical manner of speaking.
Sharpness of vision.
Having a sharp point.
A professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games.
A professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Make sharp or sharper.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Collections with this word
Themed sets you can browse for free.
Use it yourself
Knowing “sharp” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.