sharp

1 adjective

1 ABLE TO CUT having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easily: Peel the apples using a sharp knife. | The metal was jagged with lots of sharp edges. | razor sharp (=very sharp)

—opposite blunt 1 (1)

2 SOUNDS loud, short, and sudden: The branch broke with a sharp crack. | a sharp cry of pain

3 TASTE having a slightly bitter taste: Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste.

4 DIRECTION a sudden extreme change of direction: sharp bend/turn: We came to a sharp bend in the road. | sharp left/right: Take a sharp left after the church.

5 PAIN sudden and severe: I felt a sharp pain in my back.

—see graph at pain 1

6 REMARK severe, angry, and criticizing: a sharp rebuke | John's tone was sharp. | be sharp with sb: The boss can be very sharp with people when she's busy.

7 have a sharp tongue to often talk to people in an angry, unkind, or criticizing way

8 PEOPLE able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceived: a journalist with an extremely sharp mind

9 EYES able to see and notice details very well: a sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)

10 keep a sharp eye on sb to watch someone very carefully, especially because you do not trust them: Keep a sharp eye on the kids at all times!

11 PENCIL having a very thin point, that can draw an exact line

—opposite blunt 1 (1)

12 SHAPE not rounded or curved; angular: Janice had the same sharp features as her mother.

13 CHANGE a sharp increase, rise etc is very sudden and very big: a sharp increase in prices

14 DIFFERENCE clear and definite, so that there is no doubt: The distinction between public and private services is much less sharp here. | in sharp contrast (=very different from someone or something else): Keele wore a smart suit, in sharp contrast to everyone's else's casual attire.

15 PICTURE/IMAGES having a shape that is clear and detailed: The outlines of the cypress trees were sharp and clear.

16

a) F sharp/D sharp/C sharp etc a musical note that is sharp has been raised by one semitone from the note F, D, C etc

b) if music or singing is sharp, it is played or sung at a slightly higher pitch 2 (3) than it should be

17 MOVEMENT quick and sudden: The wind blew across the lake in sharp gusts. | a sharp intake of breath

18 FEELINGS very strong and unexpected: I was left with a sharp sense of disappointment.

19 sharp practice behaviour, especially in business, that is dishonest but not illegal

20 a sharp frost a very cold severe frost 1 (1)

21 be on the sharp end of sth to experience the worst effects of something: We were always on the sharp end of clients' complaints.

22 sb looks sharp AmE if someone looks sharp, they are dressed well and attractively; smart 1 (2) especially BrE: Tod looked really sharp in his tux.

— sharpness noun (U) —see also: sharply 2 adverb

1 at ten-thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp at exactly 10.30, 2.00 etc: We're meeting at 10 o'clock sharp.

2 sharp left/right if you turn sharp left or right, you make a sudden change of direction to the left or right: You turn sharp right at the crossroads.

3 look sharp spoken

a) BrE used to tell someone to do something quickly: If you look sharp you might catch him before he leaves for London.

b) especially AmE used to warn someone about something: Look sharp, the boss is coming!

4 played or sung at a slightly higher pitch 2 (3) than is correct

3 noun (C)

1 a musical note that has been raised one semitone above the note written

2 the sign (\#) in a line of written music used to show this