sharp

1 of 4

adjective

ˈshärp How to pronounce sharp (audio)
Synonyms of sharpnext
1
: adapted to cutting or piercing: such as
a
: having a thin keen edge or fine point
b
: briskly or bitingly cold : nipping
a sharp wind
2
a
: keen in intellect : quick-witted
b
: keen in perception : acute
sharp sight
c
: keen in attention : vigilant
keep a sharp lookout
d
: keen in attention to one's own interest sometimes to the point of being unethical
a sharp trader
also : corrupt, unethical
sharp business practices
3
: keen in spirit or action: such as
a
: full of activity or energy : brisk
sharp blows
b
: capable of acting or reacting strongly
especially : caustic
4
: severe, harsh: such as
a
: inclined to or marked by irritability or anger
a sharp temper
b
: causing intense mental or physical distress
a sharp pain
c
: cutting in language or import
a sharp rebuke
5
: affecting the senses or sense organs intensely: such as
a(1)
: having a strong odor or flavor
sharp cheese
(2)
: acrid
b
: having a strong piercing sound
c
: having the effect of or involving a sudden brilliant display of light
a sharp flash
6
a
: terminating in a point or edge
sharp features
b
: involving an abrupt or marked change especially in direction
a sharp turn
c
: clear in outline or detail : distinct
a sharp image
d
: set forth with clarity and distinctness
sharp contrast
7
a
of a tone : raised a half step in pitch
b
: higher than the proper pitch
c
: major, augmented
—used of an interval in music
8
: stylish, dressy
sharply adverb
sharpness noun

sharp

2 of 4

adverb

1
: in a sharp manner
2
: exactly
1:15 sharp

sharp

3 of 4

noun

plural sharps
: one that is sharp: such as
a
: a sharp edge or point
b(1)
: a musical note or tone one half step higher than a note or tone named
(2)
: a character ♯ on a line or space of the musical staff indicating a pitch a half step higher than the degree would indicate without it
c
: a needle with a small eye for sewing by hand
d
: a real or self-proclaimed expert
also : sharper
e
: a medical instrument (such as a scalpel, lancet, or syringe needle) that is sharp or may produce sharp pieces by shattering
—usually plural
It is no longer legal to dispose of sharps in the regular trash, Health Director Jeanne M. Galloway said in announcing the new collection station.—Angela Carbone

sharp

4 of 4

verb

sharped; sharping; sharps

transitive verb

: to raise (a musical tone) in pitch
especially : to raise in pitch by a half step

intransitive verb

: to sing or play above the proper pitch

Synonyms

Adjective

Adverb

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for sharp

sharp, keen, acute mean having or showing alert competence and clear understanding.

sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

sharp enough to spot a confidence game

keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

a keen observer of the political scene

acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

an acute sense of style

Examples of sharp in a Sentence

Adjective a sharp drop in temperature He took a sharp left turn. a sharp curve in the road Her cheerful mood stands in sharp contrast to her dreary surroundings. Adverb be there at four o'clock sharp Noun the computer sharp that the rest of the staff turns to whenever their PCs act up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Washington could’ve been sharper on that possession — Jayden Daniels missed an open receiver on a crosser one play before the Ekeler drop. —Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 Since 2000, there has been a sharp increase in pediatric cannabis calls to the nation’s poison centers. —Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Adverb
The parasol with a PVC stand (butt sawed sharp for jamming into soft ground) was already stowed in Sean’s car from his previous outing. —Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024 Dressed sharp in a suit with a baseball hat, Stranger performs his duets with the phenomenal Dunia Best, backed by Eastern Standard Time. —Heather Augustyn, Spin, 10 Oct. 2023
Noun
But surely a guy a sharp as Tenax will see a way to turn this bloodline to his advantage. —Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024 But without savers and gamblers to profit off of, the gains for sharps are limited. —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 25 May 2024
Verb
The former president's endorsement process has evolved from haphazard to sharp and effective, rendering all other endorsements all but obsolete. —Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2024 That included everything from off-center parts at Simone Rocha to sharp, contrasting textures at KNWLS. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for sharp 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English scearp; akin to Old High German scarf sharp and perhaps to Old English scrapian to scrape — more at scrape

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1662, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sharp was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing sharp

Dictionary Entries Near sharp

Sharon, Plain of

sharp

Sharp

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sharp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharp. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

sharp

1 of 4 adjective
ˈshärp How to pronounce sharp (audio)
1
a
: having a thin keen edge or fine point
a sharp knife
b
: briskly cold : nipping
sharp biting wind
2
a
: alert in understanding : quick-witted
a sharp student
b
: having very good ability to see or hear
you have sharp eyes
c
: keen in attention to one's own interest sometimes to the point of being dishonest
a sharp customer
3
a
: full of activity or energy : brisk
keep up a sharp pace
b
: eager
a sharp appetite
4
a
: curt, angry
a sharp reply
b
: causing intense mental or physical distress
a sharp pain
sharp criticism
5
: having a strong odor or flavor
sharp cheese
6
a
: ending in a point or edge
sharp features
sharp mountain peaks
b
: involving an abrupt change
a sharp turn
a sharp drop in the temperature
c
: clear in outline or detail : distinct
a sharp image
d
: set forth with clarity and distinctness
sharp contrast
7
a
: higher by a half step than the pitch of the note indicated by the letter name
b
: higher than the true pitch
8
: stylish, dressy
sharply adverb
sharpness noun

sharp

2 of 4 adverb
1
: in a sharp manner : sharply
sang sharp
2
: at an exact time
arrive by four o'clock sharp

sharp

3 of 4 noun
1
: a musical note or tone one half step higher than the note or tone indicated by the letter name
also : a character ♯ on a line or space of the staff indicating such a note or tone
2
: a needle with a small eye for sewing by hand

sharp

4 of 4 verb
1
: to raise in pitch especially by a half step
2
: to sing or play above the true pitch

Medical Definition

sharp

noun
ˈshärp How to pronounce sharp (audio)
: a medical instrument (as a scalpel, lancet, or syringe needle) that is sharp or may produce sharp pieces by shattering
As I passed the hemostat, the needle clipped my glove and my skin … I then disposed of the sharp and tried to force bleeding.—The Journal of the American Medical Association
—usually used in plural
It is no longer legal to dispose of sharps in the regular trash, Health Director Jeanne M. Galloway said in announcing the new collection station.—Angela Carbone, The Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican

Biographical Definition

Sharp

biographical name

ˈshärp How to pronounce Sharp (audio)
Phillip Allen 1944–     American biologist

More from Merriam-Webster on sharp

Nglish: Translation of sharp for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sharp for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sharp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...