Standard Lemma guide

sharper

adj · name · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈʃɑɹpɚ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)pə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: SH AA1 R P ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

comparative form of sharp: more sharp

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparative, form-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A swindler; a cheat; a professional gambler who makes his living by cheating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

Examples

  • 1878, John Payne, Introduction, in François Villon, Poems, translated by John Payne, New York: Boni & Liveright, c. 1918, p. 33 https://archive.org/details/poemsvillon00vill [...] in a twinkling the accomplished sharper changes the pitchers and pretending to examine the contents, asks the tapster what kind of wine he has given him [...]
  • 1882, W. S. Gilbert, "Emily, John, James, and I: A Derby Legend" in The "Bab" Ballads, Philadelphia: David McKay, publishing date not given, p. 275, https://archive.org/details/babballads00gilb The Derby Day sun glittered gaily on cads, / On maidens with gamboge hair, / On sharpers and pickpockets, swindlers and pads— / (For I, with my harp, was there).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cardsharp, card sharp, cardsharper, card sharper, sharpie, sharpy, card shark

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: card player, swindler, defrauder, chiseller, chiseler, gouger, scammer, grifter

History

Etymology

From sharp + -er.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: измамник (izmamnik) — cheat, card-sharper
  • Portuguese: malandro — cheat, card-sharper
  • Russian: шу́лер (šúler) — cheat, card-sharper