Dictionary

sharpen en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈʃɑːpən/ (British, Received-Pronunciation, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈʃɑɹpən/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en.

Meanings

1. (figuratively, sometimes, transitive) To make sharp.
   • to sharpen a pencil or a knife or a musical note
   • He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC:
   • The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives.[…]who, if anyone, is policing their use. Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications. 2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26:
2. (intransitive) To become sharp.
   • The organizers said they had found themselves "more involved in the web of social convulsions and violence that is tormenting our country. The present economic crisis, the grave political instability and the rapidly sharpening violence have finally overtaken […] our wishes. 1990 February 4, Jennie McKnight, “Peruvian Politics Threaten Encuentro”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 2:

Forms

Antonyms

blur · blunt

Deriveds

sharpen up · unsharpen · sharpenable · missharpen · presharpen · resharpen · sharpener · oversharpen

Synonyms

hone · whet

Translations (133)

ga faobhraigh (to make sharp) · pl natemperować (to make sharp) · cs ostřit (to make sharp) · hu élesít (to make sharp) · bg остря (to make sharp) · wa rishinmî (to make sharp) · es reseguir (to make sharp) · lb schäerfen (to make sharp) · nb hvesse (to make sharp) · hy սրել (to make sharp) · gld сули- (to make sharp) · wa rawijhî (to make sharp) · ru поточи́ть (to make sharp) · uk загостри́ти (to make sharp) · nn skjerpe (to make sharp) · oc agusar (to make sharp) · id mengasah (to make sharp) · mi whakakoi (to make sharp) · sdn arrudà (to make sharp) · la cuspidō (to make sharp) · es afilar (to make sharp) · nl slijpen (to make sharp) · pt afiar (to make sharp) · mk то́чи (to make sharp) · hu köszörül (to make sharp) · mn ᠢᠷᠯᠡᠬᠦ (to make sharp) · sdc arruddà (to make sharp) · nl scherpen (to make sharp) · mn хурцлах (to make sharp) · mi whakangangahu (to make sharp) · sc arrodare (to make sharp) · da skærpe (to make sharp) · vi mài (to make sharp) · lb schläifen (to make sharp) · ja 研ぐ (to make sharp) · es sacarle punta a (to make sharp) · wyi kirk-kirk-konak (to make sharp) · bg точа (to make sharp) · fi teroittaa (to make sharp) · pt apontar (to make sharp) · wa shinmî (to make sharp) · ta சீவு (to make sharp) · ka წამახვა (to make sharp) · km សំរួច (to make sharp) · fur spiçâ (to make sharp) · pl naostrzyć (to make sharp) · ms asah (to make sharp) · om qaruu (to make sharp) · vo tipükön (to make sharp) · tr açmak (to make sharp) · gl aguzar (to make sharp) · pl zatemperować (to make sharp) · chr ᎬᏟᎭ (to make sharp) · eo akrigi (to make sharp) · tr keskinleştirmek (to make sharp) · crh qayramaq (to make sharp) · mn ᠦᠵᠦᠭᠦᠷᠯᠡᠬᠦ (to make sharp) · izh kirahuttaa (to make sharp) · ka გალესვა (to make sharp) · ga géaraigh (to make sharp) · sv vässa (to make sharp) · nb skjerpe (to make sharp) · ca esmolar (to make sharp) · uk заго́стрювати (to make sharp) · kk ұштау (to make sharp) · it affinare (to make sharp) · gl afiar (to make sharp) · mi whakaratarata (to make sharp) · pl ostrzyć (to make sharp) · et teravdama (teravda) (to make sharp) · mn билүүдэх (to make sharp) · it molare (to make sharp) · unm kinhàmën (to make sharp) · fr affûter (to make sharp) · de schärfen (to make sharp) · vo japükön (to make sharp) · mn үрэх (to make sharp) · az itiləmək (to make sharp) · mi oroi (to make sharp) · grc ὀξύνω (to make sharp) · cmn 磨 (to make sharp) · nn kvesse (to make sharp) · eu zorroztu (to make sharp) · mn ᠦᠷᠦᠬᠦ (to make sharp) · de spitzen (to make sharp) · jv ngasah (to make sharp) · vi vót (to make sharp) · mn ᠪᠢᠯᠡᠭᠦᠳᠡᠬᠦ (to make sharp) · th เหลา (to make sharp) · izh hiuttaa (to make sharp) · es hacer/poner más nítido (to make sharp) · ru заточи́ть (to make sharp) · fr aiguiser (to make sharp) · la acuō (to make sharp) · th ลับ (to make sharp) · my ချွန် (to make sharp) · pl temperować (to make sharp) · oc amolar (to make sharp) · mk о́стри (to make sharp) · ro ascuți (to make sharp) · it arrotare (to make sharp) · hu hegyez (to make sharp) · cmn 削尖 (to make sharp) · sl šiliti (to make sharp) · ar شَحَذَ (to make sharp) · ka წაწვეტება (to make sharp) · el ακονίζω (to make sharp) · hu fen (to make sharp) · et ihuma hammast/hambaid (to make sharp) · nb kvesse (to make sharp) · it affilare (to make sharp) · fr affiler (to make sharp) · ru наточи́ть (to make sharp) · mk ши́ли (to make sharp) · mn ирлэх (to make sharp) · sh šiljiti (to make sharp) · te పదునుపెట్టు (to make sharp) · sc arrodare (to make sharp) · ja 削る (to make sharp) · et teritama pliiatsit (terita) (to make sharp) · gld пивэ- (to make sharp) · tsg hasa (to make sharp) · nl aanscherpen (to make sharp) · nrf appointchi (to make sharp) · mn үзүүрлэх (to make sharp) · mn ᠬᠤᠷᠴᠠᠯᠠᠬᠤ (to make sharp) · sl ošiliti (to make sharp) · es tajar (to make sharp) · ca agusar (to make sharp) · ru точи́ть (to make sharp) · ka მოპირვა (to make sharp) · hu kihegyez (to make sharp) · hi पैना करना (to make sharp)