Sharpen (Verb)
Meaning 1
Make (one's senses) more acute; "This drug will sharpen your vision".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
Raise the pitch of (musical notes).
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- She adjusted the instrument to sharpen the B flat and bring it in tune with the rest of the orchestra.
- The slight modification to the flute's mouthpiece seemed to sharpen the higher notes and overall sound quality.
- As he tightened the string, the pitch began to sharpen, moving away from the flatter tone it previously produced.
- The violinist applied a bit more pressure on the fingerboard to sharpen the eighth note in the melody.
- To sharpen the E note, the cellist used a slightly firmer stroke of the bow on the G-string.
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
Give a point to; "The candles are tapered".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Make crisp or more crisp and precise; "We had to sharpen our arguments".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
Make sharp or sharper; "sharpen the knives".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Sharpen the knives before chopping the vegetables to avoid accidents.
- Using a whetstone helps to sharpen the blade of a machete.
- She needs to sharpen her pencils before an important exam.
- Regularly sharpen your skates to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.
- Sharpen your mind by reading books, solving puzzles, and engaging in meaningful conversations.
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
Become sharp or sharper; "The debate sharpened".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Hypernyms
Meaning 7
Make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper.
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Antonyms
Meaning 8
Put (an image) into focus; "Please focus the image; we cannot enjoy the movie".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The camera's lens began to sharpen the blurry image, allowing us to see the subject more clearly.
- You need to sharpen the focus on the microscope to get a better view of the specimen.
- Sharpen the image by adjusting the lens on your camera for a better photo.
- The software will sharpen the pixelated picture to make it appear more vibrant and clear.
- The technician worked to sharpen the fuzzy TV reception, checking connections and antennas.