sharp S₁H₄A₁R₁P₃

Adjective 4 meanings

1. Terminating in a point or edge, especially one that can cut or pierce easily; not dull, obtuse, or rounded.

   “I keep my knives sharp so that they don't slip unexpectedly while carving.”

2. Intelligent.

   “My nephew is a sharp lad; he can count to 100 in six languages, and he's only five years old.”

3. Raised by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ⟨♯⟩ after the name of the note).

4. Higher in pitch than required.

   “The orchestra's third violin several times was sharp about an eighth of a tone.”

Adverb 3 meanings

1. In a sharp manner: a less usual alternative to sharply in certain senses.

2. Exactly.

   “I'll see you at twelve o'clock sharp.”

3. In a higher pitch than is correct or desirable.

   “I didn't enjoy the concert much because the soprano sang sharp on all the high notes.”

Noun 4 meanings

1. The symbol ⟨♯⟩, placed after the name of a note in the key signature or before a note on the staff to indicate that the note is to be played one chromatic semitone higher.

   “The pitch pipe sounded out a perfect F♯ (F sharp).”

2. A note that is played one chromatic semitone higher than usual; denoted by the name of the note that is followed by the symbol ⟨♯⟩.

3. A note that is sharp in a particular key.

   “The piece was difficult to read after it had been transposed, since in the new key many notes were sharps.”

4. The scale having a particular sharp note as its tonic.

   “Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is written in C♯ minor (C sharp minor).”

Verb 2 meanings

1. To raise the pitch of a note half a step making a natural note a sharp.

   “That new musician must be tone deaf: he sharped half the notes of the song!”

2. To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.

Similar and opposite words

• WARP₉
• HARP₉
• CARP₈
• TARP₆
• SCARP₉
• LARP₆
• PARP₈
• PERICARP₁₄
• AUTOHARP₁₃
• DIPTEROCARP₁₈
• UNSHARP₁₂
• ULTRASHARP₁₅

• SHARE₈
• SHARK₁₂
• SHARD₉
• SCARP₉
• SHART₈
• SHARN₈