Standard Lemma guide

sharpness

name · noun · 15 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.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: SH AA1 R P N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

An inland port in Hinton parish, Stroud district, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref SO6702).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the cutting ability of an edge; keenness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the fineness of the point a pointed object.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The product or result of being sharp.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

pungency or acidity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

distinctness, focus.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

acuteness or acuity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

edge or blade

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

harshness of manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: asperity

Antonyms: dullness

Broader terms: ill nature

10

noun

Meaning 10

the quality of being sharp and clear

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: distinctness

Antonyms: softness

Broader terms: clearness, clarity, uncloudedness

Narrower terms: definition, discernability, legibility, focus

11

noun

Meaning 11

thinness of edge or fineness of point

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: keenness

Antonyms: dullness

Broader terms: shape, form, configuration, contour, conformation

Narrower terms: acuteness

12

noun

Meaning 12

the quality of being keenly and painfully felt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the sharpness of her loss

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: painfulness, distressingness

13

noun

Meaning 13

a strong odor or taste property

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the pungency of mustard
  • the sulfurous bite of garlic
  • the sharpness of strange spices
  • the raciness of the wine

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pungency, bite, raciness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spiciness, spice, spicery

14

noun

Meaning 14

the attribute of urgency in tone of voice

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his voice had an edge to it

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: edge

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: urgency

15

noun

Meaning 15

a quick and penetrating intelligence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he argued with great acuteness
  • I admired the keenness of his mind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: acuteness, acuity, keenness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intelligence

Narrower terms: steel trap

History

Etymology

From Middle English sharpnesse, scharpnesse, from Old English sċearpnes (“sharpness”), equivalent to sharp + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

52 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Assamese: ধাৰ (dhar) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Bulgarian: рязкост (rjazkost) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Catalan: agudesa — cutting ability of an edge
  • Dutch: scherpheid — cutting ability of an edge
  • Esperanto: akro — cutting ability of an edge
  • Esperanto: akreco — cutting ability of an edge
  • French: tranchant — cutting ability of an edge
  • French: fil — cutting ability of an edge
  • German: Schärfe — cutting ability of an edge
  • Ancient Greek: ὀξύτης (oxútēs) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Hungarian: élesség — cutting ability of an edge
  • Irish: aichre — cutting ability of an edge
  • Latin: aciēs — cutting ability of an edge
  • Malayalam: മൂർച്ച (mūṟcca) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skarphet — cutting ability of an edge
  • Russian: острота́ (ostrotá) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Spanish: agudeza — cutting ability of an edge
  • Swedish: skärpa — cutting ability of an edge
  • Tamil: கூர்மை (kūrmai) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Tatar: үткенлек (ütkenlek) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Telugu: పదును (padunu) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Ottoman Turkish: كسكینلك (keskinlik) — cutting ability of an edge
  • Dutch: gescherptheid — fineness of a point
  • Dutch: scherpte — fineness of a point
  • Esperanto: akro — fineness of a point
  • Esperanto: akreco — fineness of a point
  • French: finesse — fineness of a point
  • French: acuité — fineness of a point
  • Russian: острота́ (ostrotá) — fineness of a point
  • Tamil: கூர்மை (kūrmai) — fineness of a point
  • Tatar: очлылык (oçlılıq) — fineness of a point
  • Dutch: scherpte — pungency, acidity
  • Esperanto: akro — pungency, acidity
  • Esperanto: akreco — pungency, acidity
  • Esperanto: acideco — pungency, acidity
  • French: acidité — pungency, acidity
  • Tamil: உறைப்பு (uṟaippu) — pungency, acidity
  • Tatar: әчелек (äçelek) — pungency, acidity
  • Dutch: scherpte — of an image
  • French: netteté — of an image
  • German: Schärfe — of an image
  • German: Bildschärfe — of an image
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skarphet — of an image
  • Russian: ре́зкость (rézkostʹ) — of an image
  • Russian: чёткость (čótkostʹ) — of an image
  • Tamil: தெளிவு (teḷivu) — of an image
  • Vietnamese: độ nét — of an image
  • Bulgarian: съобразителност (sǎobrazitelnost) — of intelligence
  • French: acuité — of intelligence
  • French: tranchant — of intelligence
  • Ancient Greek: ὀξύτης (oxútēs) — of intelligence
  • Tamil: கூர்மை (kūrmai) — of intelligence