- sharp
- [[t]ʃɑ͟ː(r)p[/t]]
♦♦sharps, sharper, sharpest1) ADJ-GRADED A sharp point or edge is very thin and can cut through things very easily. A sharp knife, tool, or other object has a point or edge of this kind.
The other end of the twig is sharpened into a sharp point to use as a toothpick...
Using a sharp knife, cut away the pith and peel from both fruits...
The ground was strewn with sharp-edged pebbles.
Ant:2) ADJ-GRADED You can describe a shape or an object as sharp if part of it or one end of it comes to a point or forms an angle.His nose was thin and sharp.
...black sharp-toed cowboy boots.
3) ADJ-GRADED A sharp bend or turn is one that changes direction suddenly.I was approaching a fairly sharp bend that swept downhill to the left.
Syn:Derived words:sharply ADV-GRADED ADV after vRoom number nine was at the far end of the corridor where it turned sharply to the right.
ADV: ADV advSharp is also an adverb.Do not cross the bridge but turn sharp left to go down on to the towpath.
4) ADJ-GRADED (approval) If you describe someone as sharp, you are praising them because they are quick to notice, hear, understand, or react to things.He is very sharp, a quick thinker and swift with repartee...
Gates is known to be a superb analyst with a sharp eye and an excellent memory.
Derived words:sharpness N-UNCOUNT oft N of nI much preferred working for Americans: I liked their enthusiasm and sharpness of mind.
5) ADJ-GRADED If someone says something in a sharp way, they say it suddenly and rather firmly or angrily, for example because they are warning or criticizing you.`Don't contradict your mother,' was Charles's sharp reprimand...
That ruling had drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups.
Derived words:sharply ADV-GRADED ADV with v, ADV adj`You've known,' she said sharply, `and you didn't tell me?'...
Environmentalists were sharply critical of the policy for its failure to encourage conservation.
sharpness N-UNCOUNT`Let them find their own way out,' said his father with unaccustomed sharpness.
6) ADJ-GRADED A sharp change, movement, or feeling occurs suddenly, and is great in amount, force, or degree.There's been a sharp rise in the rate of inflation...
Tennis requires a lot of short sharp movements...
He felt a sharp pain in the abductor muscle in his right thigh.
Derived words:sharply ADV-GRADED ADV with v, ADV adjUnemployment among the over forties has risen sharply in recent years...
I turned my body sharply in the chair...
The latest survey shows buying plans for homes are sharply lower than in June.
7) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A sharp difference, image, or sound is very easy to see, hear, or distinguish.Many people make a sharp distinction between humans and other animals...
Her reticence was in sharp contrast to the glamour and star status of her predecessors...
All the footmarks are quite sharp and clear...
We heard a voice sing out in a clear, sharp tone.
Derived words:sharply ADV-GRADED usu ADV with v, also ADV adjOpinions on this are sharply divided...
The woman's figure is sharply brought out by the intense Provençal light...
The things she saw and heard every day made her ever more sharply aware of the separation between herself and her family.
sharpness N-UNCOUNTThe telescope will show us our Universe as we've never seen it before, with wonderful sharpness and clarity.
8) ADJ-GRADED A sharp taste or smell is rather strong or bitter, but is often also clear and fresh....a colourless, almost odourless liquid with a sharp, sweetish taste...
In the hot sun the rain-washed herbs smelled sharp and spicy and sweet all at once.
Derived words:sharpness N-UNCOUNTThe pesto vinaigrette added a stimulating sharpness.
9) ADJ-GRADED A sharp wind, or sharp cold, is so strong or intense that it almost hurts you when you are exposed to it.The wind was not as sharp and cruel as it had been.
Syn:10) ADJ-GRADED Sharp clothes are neat, elegant, and fashionable.Now politics is all about the right haircut and a sharp suit...
A sharp dresser, Wyatt is never seen in casual clothes.
11) ADV: n ADV Sharp is used after stating a particular time to show that something happens at exactly the time stated.She planned to unlock the store at 8.00 sharp this morning.
Syn:12) N-COUNT: usu n N Sharp is used after a letter representing a musical note to show that the note should be played or sung half a tone higher. Sharp is often represented by the symbol \#.A solitary viola plucks a lonely, soft F sharp.
Ant:13) → See also razor-sharp14) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, oft PHR of n If you say that someone is at the sharp end of a particular activity or type of work, you mean that they are involved in the most difficult or dangerous aspects of it. [mainly BRIT]Vincent French is a real estate broker at the sharp end of a tough and exacting business...
Working at the sharp end, many of us have noted an increase in the number of patients attending surgeries.
English dictionary. 2008.
