Sharp — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun verb /ˈshärp/

Meaning & Definition of Sharp

Sharp (adjective)

  1. adapted to cutting or piercing
  2. having a thin keen edge or fine point
  3. briskly or bitingly cold, nipping

Sharp (adverb)

  1. in a sharp manner
  2. exactly

Sharp (noun)

  1. one that is sharp
  2. a sharp edge or point
  3. a musical note or tone one half step higher than a note or tone named

Sharp (verb)

  1. to raise (a musical tone) in pitch; especially, to raise in pitch by a half step
  2. to sing or play above the proper pitch

Sharp (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something

    "be careful, as that knife is sharp enough to slice off a finger"

    similar: cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, sharpened, stropped, trenchant, whetted
    related: clawlike, daggerlike, knifelike, jabbing, jagged, lacerating, piercing, scratching, stabbing, pointed, pointy, spiky
    opposite: blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse
    near: rounded, smooth, soft, even, flat, level, slick

  2. having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor

    "that cheese is so sharp that its rank aroma can practically clear a room"

    similar: nippy, pungent, strong, tangy
    related: acid, acidic, acrid, bitter, harsh, gingery, hot, peppery, piquant, spicy, tart, zesty, zingy, putrid, rancid, rank, skunky, acute, keen, animating, energizing, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, provocative, appetizing, delectable, delicious, palatable, toothsome, flavorful, savory, tasty, aromatic, redolent
    opposite: bland, mild, smooth
    near: aged, mellow, ripe, gentle, soft, flat, flavorless, insipid, savorless, tasteless, zestless, dilute, thin, watery, weak

  3. tapering to a thin tip

    "tipped with a sharp arrowhead"

    similar: peaked, pointed, pointy, spired, tipped
    related: needlelike, spiny, barbed, jagged, pronged, spiked, spikelike, spiky, bladelike, knifelike
    opposite: blunt
    near: dull, rounded

  4. being in the latest or current fashion

    "wore a sharp suit to his first big job interview"

    similar: à la mode, au courant, chic, cool (slang), exclusive, fashionable, fresh (slang), happening, hip, in, modish, smart, snappy, stylish, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguish
    related: downtown, edgy, funky, dapper, dashing, dressy, kicky, natty, rakish, sassy, saucy, spiffy, spruce, chichi, classy, flossy, haute, nobby, posh, ritzy, soigné, swank, elegant, graceful, handsome, majestic, refined, sophisticated, stately, tasteful, understated, doggish, doggy, flashy, gallant, dandyish, dudish, foppish, ultrachic, ultracool, ultrahip, ultraposh, ultrasmart, ultrasophisticated
    opposite: dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish
    near: cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming, graceless, inelegant, tasteless, trashy, unhandsome, frowsy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, disheveled, messy, mussy, rumpled, wrinkled, shabby, sleazy

  5. being strikingly neat and trim in style or appearance

    "a television personality who's known as a sharp dresser"

    similar: dapper, natty, smart, snappy, spruce
    related: dolled up, dressy, elegant, formal, spiffed-up, orderly, tidy, à la mode, chic, fashionable, in, modish, stylish, careful, fastidious, fussy, meticulous, combed, groomed, clean, immaculate, pristine, spotless, squeaky-clean
    opposite: disheveled, frowsy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt
    near: messy, mussed, rumpled, uncombed, untidy, wrinkled, shabby, sleazy, dingy, dirty, filthy, foul, grimy, grubby, nasty, scroungy, scrubby, scruffy, scuzzy (slang), smirched, soiled, spotted, stained, sullied, unclean, dowdy, inelegant, unfashionable, unstylish

  6. causing intense discomfort to one's skin

    "I got chapped lips from sailing all day in that sharp wind"

    similar: biting, bitter, cutting, keen, penetrating, piercing, raw, shrewd, smarting, stinging
    related: brisk, invigorating, nippy, snappy, needlelike, prickly, tingling, caustic, corrosive
    near: balmy, gentle, mild, soothing

  7. given to or marked by cheating and deception

    "sharp business practices that are being investigated by the state's consumer protection agency"

    similar: bent (chiefly British), crooked, deceptive, dishonest, double-dealing, duplicitous, fast, fraudulent, guileful, rogue, shady, shifty, underhand, underhanded
    related: unconscionable, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, deceitful, deceiving, deluding, delusive, delusory, false, artful, beguiling, cagey, crafty, cunning, foxy, slick, sly, subtle, wily, defrauding, devious, furtive, slippery, sneaking, sneaky, trickish, tricky, insidious, perfidious, treacherous
    opposite: aboveboard, honest, straight
    near: conscientious, decent, ethical, honorable, just, scrupulous, upright, forthright, straightforward

  8. having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

    "a sharp customer who wasn't about to be taken in by that smooth-tongued salesman"

    similar: astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp-witted, shrewd, smart
    related: artful, cagey, crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy (chiefly British), foxy, guileful, pawky (chiefly British), slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily, discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise, experienced, veteran, discriminating, discriminative, agile, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, apt, ingenious, resourceful, calculating, scheming
    opposite: unknowing
    near: artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive, exploitable, gullible, unperceptive, unwise, dense, dull, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained, brain-dead, brainless, dim-witted, dopey, dumb, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, softheaded, stupid, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, weak-minded, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, thoughtless, witless, ignorant, uninformed

  9. having or showing quickness of mind

    "any sharp student would have noticed the error immediately"

    similar: alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
    related: apt, ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, heady, insightful, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite, genial, highbrow, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, well-read, educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained, creative, inventive, judicious, prudent, sage, sane, sensible, sound, crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily, logical, rational, reasonable
    opposite: airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unbrilliant, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
    near: feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, half-baked, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, nonintellectual, unacademic, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, harebrained, insane, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, tomfool, unwise, wacky, zany

  10. marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings

    "an unnecessarily sharp retort to a perfectly civil question"

    similar: acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric, scalding, scathing, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart
    related: brisk, cross, sharp-tongued, sour, sourish, spiky, tartish, incisive, keen, poignant, trenchant, cynical, dry, ironic, wry, facetious, flippant, tongue-in-cheek, acrimonious, bitter, resentful, vitriolic, harsh, rough, severe, stringent, abrupt, blunt, brusque, concise, crisp, curt, gruff, pithy, snippety, snippy, succinct, terse, backhanded, insincere
    near: amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish, gentle, mild, bland, good-humored, good-natured, diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane, affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable

  11. able to sense slight impressions or differences

    "you have sharp eyes"

    similar: acute, delicate, fine, keen, perceptive, quick, sensitive
    related: accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle, hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive
    near: bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading, dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb, imprecise, inaccurate

  12. uncomfortably cool

    "a spell of unusually sharp weather for this time of year"

    similar: bitter, bleak, chill, chilling, chilly, nipping, nippy, raw
    related: bracing, brisk, crisp, invigorating, rigorous, snappy, arctic, cold, coolish, freezing, frigid, frosty, glacial, ice-cold, icy, numbing, polar, shivery, wintry, subfreezing, subzero, frore, frosted, frozen, iced, refrigerated, unheated
    near: balmy, warm, lukewarm, tepid, heated, warmed

Sharp (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as stated or indicated without the slightest difference

    "be there at four o'clock sharp"

    similar: due, exactly, full, just, precisely, right, smack-dab, squarely, on the button, on the nose

Sharp (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "the computer sharp that the rest of the staff turns to whenever their PCs act up"

    similar: ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab (chiefly British), dab hand (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    related: pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress
    opposite: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
    near: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional

Sharp (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in hum, croon

    similar: belt, croon, harmonize, hum, lilt, quaver, scat, slur, trill, troll, warble, yodel, carol, chant, descant, sing, vocalize, serenade

Related Entry: Sharp-eyed (adjective)

Sharp-eyed is a different word from Sharp. The synonyms below are for sharp-eyed, not for sharp.

  1. having unusually keen vision

    "a very sharp-eyed child found the last Easter egg, which was hidden in the flower arrangement"

    similar: clear-sighted, eagle-eyed, hawkeyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-sighted
    related: sighted, alert, attentive, aware, observant, observing, vigilant, watchful
    near: blind, eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless, astigmatic, myopic, nearsighted, shortsighted, purblind

Related Entry: Sharp-sighted (adjective)

Sharp-sighted is a different word from Sharp. The synonyms below are for sharp-sighted, not for sharp.

  1. having unusually keen vision

    "the sharp-sighted hunter spotted the deer and motioned to his companions"

    similar: clear-sighted, eagle-eyed, hawkeyed, lynx-eyed, sharp-eyed
    related: sighted, alert, attentive, aware, observant, observing, vigilant, watchful
    near: blind, eyeless, sightless, stone-blind, visionless, astigmatic, myopic, nearsighted, shortsighted, purblind

Related Entry: Sharp-witted (adjective)

Sharp-witted is a different word from Sharp. The synonyms below are for sharp-witted, not for sharp.

  1. having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment

    "her sharp-witted questions always cut right to the core of the issue"

    similar: astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, shrewd, smart
    related: artful, cagey, crafty, cunning, devious, dodgy (chiefly British), foxy, guileful, pawky (chiefly British), slick, sly, subtle, tricky, wily, discerning, insightful, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, wise, experienced, veteran, discriminating, discriminative, agile, alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, apt, ingenious, resourceful, calculating, scheming
    opposite: unknowing
    near: artless, guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive, exploitable, gullible, unperceptive, unwise, dense, dull, obtuse, airheaded, birdbrained, brain-dead, brainless, dim-witted, dopey, dumb, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, softheaded, stupid, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, weak-minded, foolish, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, thoughtless, witless, ignorant, uninformed

  2. having or showing quickness of mind

    "a TV game show that allows sharp-witted contestants to show their stuff"

    similar: alert, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
    related: apt, ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, heady, insightful, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite, genial, highbrow, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, well-read, educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained, creative, inventive, judicious, prudent, sage, sane, sensible, sound, crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily, logical, rational, reasonable
    opposite: airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unbrilliant, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
    near: feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, half-baked, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, nonintellectual, unacademic, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, harebrained, insane, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, tomfool, unwise, wacky, zany

Related Entry: Sharp-tongued (adjective)

Sharp-tongued is a different word from Sharp. The synonyms below are for sharp-tongued, not for sharp.

  1. as in sour, spiky

    similar: brisk, cross, sour, sourish, spiky, tartish, acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric, scalding, scathing, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart, incisive, keen, poignant, trenchant, cynical, dry, ironic, wry, facetious, flippant, tongue-in-cheek, acrimonious, bitter, resentful, vitriolic, harsh, rough, severe, stringent, abrupt, blunt, brusque, concise, crisp, curt, gruff, pithy, snippety, snippy, succinct, terse, backhanded, insincere
    opposite: amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish, gentle, mild, bland, good-humored, good-natured, diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane, affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Sharp

The most common words with a similar meaning to Sharp:

Chiefly British: bent, dab, dab hand
Slang: cool, fresh
cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, sharpened, stropped, trenchant, whetted, nippy, pungent, strong, tangy, peaked, pointed, pointy, spired, tipped, à la mode, au courant, chic, exclusive, fashionable, happening, hip, in, modish, smart, snappy, stylish, supercool, swell, swish, trendy, voguish, dapper, natty, spruce, biting

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Sharp

Words with the opposite meaning of Sharp:

blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse, bland, mild, smooth, dowdy, out, outmoded, styleless, unchic, uncool, unfashionable, unmodish, unstylish, disheveled, frowsy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, aboveboard, honest, straight, unknowing, airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead

Related Words for Sharp

clawlike, daggerlike, knifelike, jabbing, jagged, lacerating, scratching, stabbing, spiky, harsh, gingery, hot, peppery, piquant, spicy, zesty, zingy, putrid, rancid, rank, skunky, animating, energizing, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, provocative, appetizing, delectable, delicious

Near Antonyms of Sharp

rounded, even, flat, level, slick, aged, mellow, ripe, gentle, flavorless, insipid, savorless, tasteless, zestless, dilute, thin, watery, weak, cheesy, tacky, unattractive, unbecoming, graceless, inelegant, trashy, unhandsome, untidy, messy, mussy, rumpled

Word Forms of Sharp

Inflections: sharps, sharped, sharping

Derived words: sharply (adverb), sharpness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Sharp

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

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Sharp

Words & Phrases Containing Sharp

sharp-eyed, sharp-nosed, sharp practice, sharp-set, sharp-shinned hawk

Frequently Asked Questions about Sharp

What does "Sharp" mean?

"Sharp" means adapted to cutting or piercing. As an an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: adapted to cutting or piercing. It has 15 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Sharp"?

Other words for "Sharp" include cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, sharpened and stropped. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Sharp" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Sharp"?

There are 432 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Sharp". Common alternatives include cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, sharpened, stropped, trenchant and whetted.

What is the opposite of "Sharp"?

Antonyms of "Sharp" include blunt, blunted, dull, dulled, obtuse, bland, mild and smooth. Near antonyms include rounded, even, flat and level.

How do you use "Sharp" in a sentence?

Examples of "Sharp" in a sentence: "be careful, as that knife is sharp enough to slice off a finger"; "that cheese is so sharp that its rank aroma can practically clear a room"; "tipped with a sharp arrowhead".

Is "Sharp" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Sharp" can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Sharp" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Sharp" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Sharp"?

"Sharp" is pronounced /ˈshärp/.