- 1having a fine edge or point, especially of something that can cut or make a hole in something a sharp knife sharp teeth opposite blunt
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rise/drop/change - 2[usually before noun] sudden and rapid, especially of a change in something a sharp drop in prices a sharp rise in crime a sharp increase in unemployment He heard a sharp intake of breath. We need to give young criminals a short, sharp shock (= a punishment that is very unpleasant for a short time).
- 3[usually before noun] clear and definite a sharp outline The photograph is not very sharp (= there are no clear contrasts between areas of light and shade). She drew a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics. In sharp contrast to her mood, the clouds were breaking up to reveal a blue sky. The issue must be brought into sharper focus. mind/eyes
- 4(of people or their minds, eyes, etc.) quick to notice or understand things or to react to have sharp eyes a girl of sharp intelligence a sharp sense of humor He kept a sharp lookout for any strangers. It was very sharp of you to see that! intelligent
- 5intelligent; quick to learn You're a pretty sharp kid. Thesaurusintelligent
- smart
- brilliant
- bright
- sharp
- intelligent good at learning, understanding, and thinking in a logical way about things; showing this ability:He's a highly intelligent man. She asked a lot of intelligent questions.
- smart quick at learning and understanding things; showing the ability to make good business or personal decisions:She's smarter than her brother. That was a smart career move.
- brilliant extremely intelligent or skillful:She's a brilliant young scientist.
- bright intelligent; quick to learn:He's probably the brightest student in the class. Bright is used especially to talk about young people. Common collocations of bright include girl, boy, kid, and student.
- sharp bright:You're a pretty sharp kid.
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant/bright/sharp child/kid/boy/girl
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant man/woman
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant thing to do
critical - 6(of a person or what they say) critical or severe sharp criticism Emma has a sharp tongue (= she often speaks in an unpleasant or unkind way). sharp with somebody He was very sharp with me when I was late. sounds
- 7[usually before noun] loud, sudden, and often high in tone She read out the list in sharp, clipped tones. There was a sharp knock on the door.
- 8(of a physical feeling or an emotion) very strong and sudden, often like being cut or wounded synonym intense He winced as a sharp pain shot through his leg. Polly felt a sharp pang of jealousy. curves
- 9changing direction suddenly a sharp bend in the road a sharp turn to the left flavor/smell
- 10strong and slightly bitter The cheese has a distinctively sharp taste. Thesaurusbitter
- sour
- pungent
- sharp
- acidic
- tart
- bitter (of a taste or smell) strong and usually unpleasant; (of food or drink) having a bitter taste.
- sour (of a taste) like the taste of a lemon or of fruit that is not ripe; (of food or drink) having a sour taste:Too much pulp produces a sour wine.
- pungent (of a taste or smell) very strong, like the taste or smell of garlic or mustard:the pungent taste of onions
- sharp (of a taste or smell) strong and biting; (of food or drink) having a sharp taste:He prefers a very sharp cheddar cheese.
- acidic (of a taste) bitter, like the taste of lemons or vinegar; (of food or drink) having an acidic taste.
- tart sour, but often in a pleasant way:The lemon pie is both sweet and slightly tart.
- A bitter taste is usually unpleasant, but some people enjoy the bitter flavor of coffee or chocolate. No other word can describe this flavor. A sharp or pungent flavor is very strong and sometimes unpleasant; these words are used especially to describe cheese. Sour and acidic both describe the taste of a lemon or a fruit that is not ripe.
- a(n) bitter/sour/pungent/sharp/acidic/tart taste/flavor
- a bitter/pungent/sharp smell/odor
- a bitter/sour/sharp/tart fruit
- pungent/sharp cheese
frost/wind - 11used to describe a very cold or very severe frost or wind see razor-sharp smart and dishonest
- 12(disapproving) (of a person or their way of doing business) smart but possibly dishonest His lawyer's a sharp operator. The firm had to face some sharp practice from competing companies.
- 13[usually before noun] (of clothes or the way someone dresses) fashionable and new The consultants were a group of men in sharp suits. Todd is a sharp dresser. face/features
- 14not full or round in shape a man with a thin face and sharp features (= a pointed nose and chin) in music
- 15used after the name of a note to mean a note a half step higher the Piano Sonata in C sharp minor compare natural
- 16above the correct pitch (= how high or low a note sounds) That note sounded sharp. opposite flat
edge/point
noun [countable, uncountable] There was a sudden sharpness in her voice. Thesaurusintelligent
- smart
- brilliant
- bright
- sharp
- intelligent good at learning, understanding, and thinking in a logical way about things; showing this ability:He's a highly intelligent man. She asked a lot of intelligent questions.
- smart quick at learning and understanding things; showing the ability to make good business or personal decisions:She's smarter than her brother. That was a smart career move.
- brilliant extremely intelligent or skillful:She's a brilliant young scientist.
- bright intelligent; quick to learn:He's probably the brightest student in the class. Bright is used especially to talk about young people. Common collocations of bright include girl, boy, kid, and student.
- sharp bright:You're a pretty sharp kid.
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant/bright/sharp child/kid/boy/girl
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant man/woman
- a(n) intelligent/smart/brilliant thing to do
not the sharpest knife in the drawer, not the sharpest tool in the shed (informal) (humorous) jump to other results
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