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sharply

adverb

Form of sharp , adverb of sharp.

Simple meaning

In different senses.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

shahrplee

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈʃɑɹpli

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.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adverb

  1. In a sharp manner, in various senses.

  2. Rapidly, abruptly.

  3. So as to form a sharp, or tight, angle.

  4. So as to terminate in a sharp point or edge.

  5. In an intellectually alert and penetrating manner.

  6. Quickly and alertly.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: In a sharp manner, in various senses.

Used this way, sharply 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.

More ways to use sharply

  • “The road twists sharply after the light.”adverb
  • “The new style of Minoan pottery was sharply defined.”adverb
  • “She was being sharply questioned.”adverb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

sharply definedsharply dividedsharply reduceddeclined sharplysharply pointedsharply increased

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • sharpadjectiveBase word

    Keenly and painfully felt.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • sharpernounPerson or profession

    A professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games.

  • sharpnessnounDerived noun · specialist

    A quick and penetrating intelligence.

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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.