From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Textures, sounds, Tastessharpsharp1 /ʃɑːp $ ʃɑːrp/ ●●●S3W2 adjective (comparative sharper, superlative sharpest)1able to cut easilySHARP having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easilyOPP blunt
Make sure you use a good sharp knife.
Its teeth are razor sharp (=very sharp).2turnTURN a sharp turn or bend changes direction suddenly
We came to a sharp bend in the road.sharp left/right
Take a sharp left after the church.3increase/changeSUDDENLY a sharp increase, rise, fall etc happens suddenly and is great in amountSYN steep
a sharp increase in prices
a sharp fall in unemployment4differenceCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND sharp differences are very big and very noticeable
sharp differences of opinion
There is a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics.
His honesty is in sharp contrast to (=very different from) some other politicians.5pain/feelingsHURT/CAUSE PAIN a sharp pain or feeling is sudden and severeOPP dull
I felt a sharp pain in my back.
I was left with a sharp sense of disappointment.6disapprovingCRITICIZE speaking in a way that shows you disapprove of something or are annoyedOPP mild
a sharp rebuke
John’s tone was sharp.
The boss can be very sharp with people when she’s busy.somebody has a sharp tongue (=they speak in a very disapproving way which often upsets people)7intelligentINTELLIGENT able to think and understand things very quickly, and not easily deceivedOPP dull, stupid
a journalist with an extremely sharp mind8 →keep a sharp eye on somebody9pencilSHARP having a very thin point that can draw an exact lineOPP blunt
Make sure your pencils are sharp before we begin the test.10soundCSLOUD/NOISY a sharp sound or cry is loud, short, and sudden
a sharp cry of pain
a sharp intake of breath11tasteCTSOUR having a slightly bittertasteOPP mild
sharp cheddar cheese
Add mustard to give the dressing a sharper taste.12clothesSMART/WELL-DRESSEDattractive and fashionableSYN smart British English
Tod looked really sharp in his tux.
a sharp suit13shapeTHIN PERSON not rounded or curved
sharp features
Her mother had a sharp little nose.14image/pictureCLEAR/EASY TO SEE if an image or picture is sharp, you can see all the details very clearlyOPP fuzzy
The outlines of the trees were sharp and clear.15good at noticing thingsNOTICE able to see and notice details very wella sharp eye for detail (=the ability to notice and deal with details)16musica)F sharp/D sharp/C sharp etcAPM a musical note that is sharp has been raised by one semitone from the note F, D, C etcb)APMif music or singing is sharp, it is played or sung at a slightly higher pitch than it should be →flat, → natural1(10)17 →sharp wind/frost18 →sharp practice19 →be on the sharp end (of something) —sharpness noun [uncountable] →sharplyTHESAURUSsharp having a very thin edge or point that can cut things easilya sharp knifeThe dog’s teeth were very sharp.Be careful. That knife’s very sharp.You’ll need some sharp scissors.Puppies mean to be playful, but their sharp teeth can give you a nasty bite.jagged having an irregular edge with a lot of sharp pointsa jagged rockThe floor was covered with jagged pieces of glass.spiky having a lot of thin sharp pointsa spiky cactus plantThe hedgehog uses its spiky fur for protection.Some corals are quite smooth, others are sharp and spiky.prickly covered in a lot of small sharp points – used mainly about plantsa prickly bushprickly leavesThe hedge was all prickly.serrated a serrated edge on a saw or knife has a lot of sharp points on itIt’s best to use a knife with a serrated edge.razor-sharp extremely sharpThe cat had razor-sharp claws.not sharpblunt not sharp – used about tools, weapons, or pencilsAll the kitchen knives were blunt.a blunt pencilThe woman had been attacked with a blunt instrument.Examples from the Corpussharp• There's no point lying to her - she's much too sharp.• Colours were brighter, but less sharp.• Her skin is wrinkled, her face cruel and knowing, her fingersbony and sharp.• I like this marmalade. It's very sharp.• Those lawyers are razorsharp, and you've got to be careful about every single word you say.• sharpCheddarcheese• Paula's a very sharpdresser, so I always have her go shopping with me.• The lemonjuice gives the dressing its sharpflavour.• That puts the importance of the order in sharpfocus.• The wind blew across the lake in sharpgusts.• A very sharp increase might have persuaded some Fed officials to push for higher rates to restraininflation.• The drink had a very sharplemony taste.• The chill in the air caught me by surprise, a sharpmountain night breeze.• Mia has a sharpnose and very dark eyes.• Lichtenstein's paintings are full of colours and sharpoutlines - almost like children's comics.• "Clear, sharpphotos every time, " the advertisementpromised.• This TV set gives you a very sharp picture.• The currentoffensive has provoked a sharprecession, with investment, construction, travel and commerce suffering badly.• The clarity of light throws everything into sharprelief against a backdrop of clear blue sky.• a sharp rise in prices• lawyers in sharpsuits• Puppies mean to be playful, but their sharpteeth can give you a nasty bite.• After a sharp turn in the path, they are suddenly approaching a faintsquare of light.• Hey, you look sharp. Where'd you get the suit?• a sharp young attorneyrazor sharp• Perfection is cold and clinical, every angleprecise, every edge razor sharp and according to plan.• All these notions are laid on the table and dissected one-by-one with razor sharpperception and humor.• The Hunter's razor sharp teeth now turned their attention to him.sharp left/right• Turn sharp left 80yds before a coniferwindbreak.• Pass over a broken wall and turn sharp right.• She walked almost to the edge of the cliff, where the road made a sharp left.• Turn sharp rightdownhill and uphill to go through another gate.• For this you turn sharp right off the road from Saint-Jean to Saint-Palais, about half-way between those two towns.• Turn left along this road for three quarters of a mile until the road turns sharp right to become Marsh Road.• We made a rocky, wetentry, and then took a sharp right turn along a wall.• There was a sharp left turn at the bottom into Ruskin Road.in sharp contrast to• Last year's prodigy, in sharp contrast, endured the most miserable day of his short and spectacularformula one career.• That was in sharp contrast to a 6. 5 % decline for all of 1994.• The shares opened at 28pyesterday, in sharp contrast to a high of 233p in August 1988.• His lack of hypocrisy is in sharp contrast to some politicians.• This is in sharp contrast to the approach of traditional neo-classical economics.• Cactus-covered buttes stand in sharp contrast to the blue water, making this an idyllicspot for a getaway.• We shared a moment of worry that stood in sharp contrast to the celebrationexploding around us.be ... sharp with• Roper, who is as sharp with a put-down as he is with a knockdown, has run out of worthyopponents.• She was prickly and sharp with him, and only too obviously relieved to make her escape.• As he walked home, Fagin's eyes were sharp withsuspicion.• Her voice was sharp withurban assertiveness.Related topics: Musicsharpsharp2 adverb1 →at ten thirty/2 o'clock etc sharp2 →sharp left/right3 →look sharp4APMplayed or sung at a slightly higher pitch than is correct → flatExamples from the Corpussharp• The performance starts at 8 o'clock sharp.Related topics: Musicsharpsharp3 noun [countable]1APMa musical note that has been raised one semitone above the note written2APMthe sign (#) in a line of written music, used to show that a musical note should be raised →flat2(3)SharpSharp trademarka brand (=type) of electronic products, that includes televisions, stereo systems, and DVD players, made by the Japanese company SharpFrom Longman Business Dictionarysharpsharp /ʃɑːpʃɑːrp/ adjectivea sharp increase, fall etc is very sudden and very biga sharp rise in interest ratesUnemployment generally brings a sharp fall in income.The group reported a sharp decline in full-year profits. —sharply adverbDuring that month, the share price fell sharply.House prices have risen sharply over the past year.Originsharp1Old Englishscearp
