SHARPEN

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sharpen mean? 

• SHARPEN (verb)
  The verb SHARPEN has 8 senses:

1. make sharp or sharper

2. make crisp or more crisp and precise

3. become sharp or sharper

4. put (an image) into focus

5. make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper

6. raise the pitch of (musical notes)

7. give a point to

8. make (one's senses) more acute

  Familiarity information: SHARPEN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHARPEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they sharpen    ... he / she / it sharpens   
Past simple: sharpened   
Past participle: sharpened   
-ing form: sharpening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make sharp or sharper

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

sharpen the knives

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sharpen"):

strap (sharpen with a strap)

edge (provide with an edge)

strop (sharpen on a strop)

whet (sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone)

hone (sharpen with a hone)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

dull (make dull or blunt)

Derivation:

sharpener (any implement that is used to make something (an edge or a point) sharper)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make crisp or more crisp and precise

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

We had to sharpen our arguments

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

compound; deepen; heighten; intensify (make more intense, stronger, or more marked)

Cause:

sharpen (become sharp or sharper)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Become sharp or sharper

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The debate sharpened

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

deepen; intensify (become more intense)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put (an image) into focus

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

focalise; focalize; focus; sharpen

Context example:

Please focus the image; we cannot enjoy the movie

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

adjust; correct; set (alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard)

Cause:

focalise; focalize; focus (become focussed or come into focus)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sharpen"):

refocus (put again into focus or focus more sharply)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

change intensity (increase or decrease in intensity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sharpen"):

focus (cause to converge on or toward a central point)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

soften (make (images or sounds) soft or softer)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Raise the pitch of (musical notes)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

flatten (lower the pitch of (musical notes))

Sense 7

Meaning:

Give a point to

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

point; sharpen; taper

Context example:

The candles are tapered

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

change form; change shape; deform (assume a different shape or form)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sharpen"):

acuminate (make sharp or acute; taper; make (something) come to a point)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Make (one's senses) more acute

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

heighten; sharpen

Context example:

This drug will sharpen your vision

Hypernyms (to "sharpen" is one way to...):

compound; deepen; heighten; intensify (make more intense, stronger, or more marked)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sharpen"):

subtilise; subtilize (make (senses) more keen)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

The guest heard the sharpening, and hurried down the steps again as fast as he could.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

On the table in the window were several shreds from a pencil which had been sharpened.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Cooky’s sharpening his knife for Hump,” was being whispered about among the sailors, and some of them twitted him about it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was a hunting trophy in the hall, and from it I took a straight heavy knife which I sharpened upon my boot.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Oh, it's a great life," the doctor proclaimed enthusiastically, pausing from sharpening his knife on the stovepipe.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment by his having slighted one of her daughters.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

His whole face sharpened away into nose and chin, and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over his outstanding bones.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A cutting device usually consisting of a sharpened blade attached to a handle.

(Knife Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

Among the improvements on the map are updates to the accuracy of feature locations, sharpening of feature details by removing some of the blurring effects of the camera, and improved color processing.

(Voyager Map Details Neptune's Strange Moon Triton, NASA)

The Spitzer data increased scientists' confidence that TOI 700 d is a real planet and sharpened their measurements of its orbital period by 56% and its size by 38%.

(NASA Planet Hunter Finds Earth-Size Habitable-Zone World, NASA)