sharpen

sharp·en  (shärpn)

tr. & intr.v. sharp·ened, sharp·en·ing, sharp·ens

To make or become sharp or sharper.

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sharpen·er n.

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sharpen [ˈʃɑːp^ən]

vb

1. to make or become sharp or sharper

2. (Music, other) Music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone Usual US and Canadian word sharp

sharpener  n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	sharpen - make sharp or sharper; "sharpen the knives" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" strap - sharpen with a strap; "strap a razor" edge - provide with an edge; "edge a blade" strop - sharpen on a strop; "strop razors" whet - sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone hone - sharpen with a hone; "hone a knife" blunt, dull - make dull or blunt; "Too much cutting dulls the knife's edge"
	2.	sharpen - make crisp or more crisp and precise; "We had to sharpen our arguments" compound, deepen, intensify, heighten - make more intense, stronger, or more marked; "The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions"
	3.	sharpen - become sharp or sharper; "The debate sharpened" deepen, intensify - become more intense; "The debate intensified"; "His dislike for raw fish only deepened in Japan"
	4.	sharpen - put (an image) into focus; "Please focus the image; we cannot enjoy the movie" focalise, focalize, focus adjust, correct, set - alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard; "Adjust the clock, please"; "correct the alignment of the front wheels" refocus - put again into focus or focus more sharply; "refocus the image until it is very sharp"
	5.	sharpen - make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" change intensity - increase or decrease in intensity soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer
	6.	sharpen - raise the pitch of (musical notes) music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" flatten, drop - lower the pitch of (musical notes)
	7.	sharpen - give a point to; "The candles are tapered" taper, point change form, change shape, deform - assume a different shape or form acuminate - make sharp or acute; taper; make (something) come to a point
	8.	sharpen - make (one's senses) more acute; "This drug will sharpen your vision" heighten compound, deepen, intensify, heighten - make more intense, stronger, or more marked; "The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions" subtilise, subtilize - make (senses) more keen

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sharpen

verb

1. improve, enhance, better, upgrade, hone, brush up, touch up, ameliorate, polish up You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.

2. make sharp, hone, whet, grind, edge, file, strop, put an edge on He started to sharpen his knife.

3. fuel, fire, stir, arouse, excite, animate, rouse, quicken, inflame, enliven, inspirit The case has sharpened the debate over capital punishment.

Translations

sharpen [ˈʃɑːpən]

A. VT

1. (= make sharp) [+ tool, blade] → afilar; [+ pencil] → sacar punta a, afilar
to sharpen sth to a point → afilar algo hasta sacarle punta

2. (= intensify, increase) [+ reactions] → agudizar; [+ resolve] → aumentar; [+ contrast] → marcar; [+ appetite] → abrir; [+ skills] → mejorar
this will sharpen awareness of other people's needs → esto hará que se tome más conciencia de las necesidades de los demás
to sharpen one's wits → espabilarse

3. (= make clearer) [+ image] → definir, hacer más nítido

B. VI [voice] → volverse más agudo; [desire] → avivarse; [pain] → agudizarse

sharpen up

A. VT + ADV [+ person] → espabilar
to sharpen up one's act → enmendarse

B. VI + ADV [person] → espabilarse

sharpen [ˈʃɑː^rpən] vt

[+ blade, knife, scissors] → aiguiser; [+ pencil] → tailler

[+ feeling] → aviver; [+ appetite] → aiguiser

[+ skills, understanding] → affiner

[+ disagreement] → aviver; [+ difference] → accentuer

sharpen

vt

knife → schleifen, schärfen, wetzen; razor → wetzen; pencil → spitzen; (fig) appetite → anregen; wits → schärfen; sensation → erhöhen; to sharpen one’s claws (lit, fig) → seine Krallen wetzen

(Mus, by a semitone) → (um einen Halbton) erhöhen; (= raise pitch) → höher singen/spielen/stimmen

vi her voice sharpened (in fear, anxiety etc) → ihre Stimme wurde schrill

sharpen [ˈʃɑːp/ən] vt

a. (tool, blade) → affilare; (pencil) → temperare

b. (outline) → mettere in risalto, far spiccare; (contrast, difference) → sottolineare, evidenziare; (TV picture) → mettere a fuoco; (conflict) → intensificare; (desire, pain) → acuire; (appetite) → aguzzare, stuzzicare
to sharpen one's wits → aguzzare l'ingegno

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sharpen [ˈʃɑːp/ən] vt

a. (tool, blade) → affilare; (pencil) → temperare

b. (outline) → mettere in risalto, far spiccare; (contrast, difference) → sottolineare, evidenziare; (TV picture) → mettere a fuoco; (conflict) → intensificare; (desire, pain) → acuire; (appetite) → aguzzare, stuzzicare
to sharpen one's wits → aguzzare l'ingegno