- (a.) To raise, as a sound, by means of a sharp; to apply a sharp to.
- (a.) To make sharp.
- (a.) To make more eager; as, to sharpen men's desires.
- (a.) To render more shrill or piercing.
- (v.i.) To grow or become sharp.
- (a.) To render more quick or acute in perception; to make more ready or ingenious.
- (a.) To make biting, sarcastic or severe.
- (a.) To make more tart or acid; to make sour; as, the rays of the sun sharpen vinegar.
- (a.) To give a keen edge or fine point to; to make sharper; as, to sharpen an ax or the teeth of a saw.
- (a.) To make more pungent and intense; as, to sharpen a pain or disease.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). sharpen. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/sharpen/definitions/2061145 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "sharpen" http://smartdefine.org/sharpen/definitions/2061145 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, sharpen, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/sharpen/definitions/2061145>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "sharpen" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/sharpen/definitions/2061145> |