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
3
4
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
sharply
adverb
sharpness
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
Angela Carbone
sharped; sharping; sharps
: to raise (a musical tone) in pitch
especially
: to raise in pitch by a half step
: to sing or play above the proper pitch
Synonyms
Adjective
Adverb
Noun
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
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
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
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
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 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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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
Dictionary Entries Near sharp
Cite this Entry
“Sharp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharp. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sharp
1 of 4 adjective1
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
4
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
sharply
adverb
sharpness
noun
sharp
2 of 4 adverb1
: in a sharp manner : sharply
sang sharp
2
: at an exact time
arrive by four o'clock sharp
sharp
3 of 4 noun1
: 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 verb1
: to raise in pitch especially by a half step
2
: to sing or play above the true pitch
Medical Definition
sharp
noun
: 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
The Journal of the American Medical AssociationIt 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
Angela Carbone, The Springfield (Massachusetts) RepublicanBiographical Definition
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