sharp

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ʃɑɹp/ UK /ʃɑːp/ See IPA manual

Freq #2496

Meanings

1

adj
Having an edge or point that can cut or pierce easily.

I keep my knives sharp so they cut cleanly.
2

adj
Quick to understand; intelligent.

My nephew is a sharp lad who learns very fast.
3

adj
Sudden and large in amount or degree.

There was a sharp drop in the stock market.
4

adj
Clear and easy to see or hear.

The new camera produces a wonderfully sharp image.
5

adj
Severe or critical in tone.

The report drew sharp criticism from the public.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having an edge or point... keen pointed

2 adj · quick to understand;... bright smart keen

4 adj · clear and easy to see or hear. crisp

5 adj · severe or critical in tone. harsh tart

More exactly precisely

Opposites

above-board bland blunt complimentary dimdim-witteddull flat flattering friendly honest imprecise

Word family

Forms sharpersharpestsharpishsharps

Derived forms a-sharpb-sharpbattle-sharpbesharpbittersharpc-sharpcardsharpd-sharpdagger-sharpdemisharpe-sharpf-sharp

Related forms accidental flat naturalsharp-sharp

Appears in

Phrases (8)

See all

sharp turn
a sudden, abrupt change of direction

Adjective + noun
sharp cry
a brief, sudden, high-pitched cry

Adjective + noun
sharp drop
a sudden and significant decrease

Adjective + noun
sharp knock
a quick, firm knock

Adjective + noun
sharp mind
a mind that is quick, perceptive, and intelligent

Adjective + noun
sharp pain
a sudden, piercing pain

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scherp, scharp, schaarp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear.

*(s)ker- (cut) Proto-Indo-European scharp Middle English sċearp Old English *skarp Proto-West Germanic *skarpaz Proto-Germanic *(s)kerb- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# sharp

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ʃɑɹp/
**IPA (UK):** /ʃɑːp/
**Frequency rank:** 2496

## Meanings
1. Having an edge or point that can cut or pierce easily.
2. Quick to understand; intelligent.
3. Sudden and large in amount or degree.
4. Clear and easy to see or hear.
5. Severe or critical in tone.

## Examples
- I keep my knives sharp so they cut cleanly.
- My nephew is a sharp lad who learns very fast.
- There was a sharp drop in the stock market.
- The new camera produces a wonderfully sharp image.
- The report drew sharp criticism from the public.

## Synonyms
- exactly
- precisely

## Antonyms
- above-board
- bland
- blunt
- complimentary
- dim
- dim-witted
- dull
- flat
- flattering
- friendly
- honest
- imprecise

## Derived Forms
- a-sharp
- b-sharp
- battle-sharp
- besharp
- bittersharp
- c-sharp
- cardsharp
- d-sharp
- dagger-sharp
- demisharp
- e-sharp
- f-sharp

## Related Forms
- accidental
- flat
- natural
- sharp-sharp

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)ker- (cut)
- Root: scharp
- Root: sċearp
- Root: *skarp
- Root: *skarpaz
- Root: *(s)kerb-

## Etymology
From Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scherp, scharp, schaarp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear.

## AI Etymology
Sharp is from Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *skarp, from Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-, from *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Cognate with West Frisian skerp, Low German scherp, scharp, schaarp, Dutch scherp, German scharf, Danish skarp. Compare Irish cearb (“keen; cutting”), Latin acerbus (“tart, bitter”), Tocharian B kärpye (“rough”), Latvian skârbs (“sharp, rough”), Russian щерба (ščerba, “notch”), Polish szczerba (“gap, dent, jag, chip, nick, notch”), Albanian harb (“rudeness”). More at shear. Important forms in the word's history include Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (cut), Middle English scharp, Old English sċearp, Proto-West Germanic *skarp, Proto-Germanic *skarpaz, Proto-Indo-European *(s)kerb-. In current use it includes senses such as Having an edge or point that can cut or pierce easily and Quick to understand; intelligent.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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