1 (not blunt) [+edge] afilado; [+needle] puntiagudo using a sharp knife, cut away the pith and peel from both fruits the ground was strewn with sharp-edged pebbles the other end of the twig is sharpened into a sharp point to use as a toothpick his nose was thin and sharp the sharp [edge] of a sword
to have a sharp point ser muy puntiagudo; the stick ended in a sharp point el palo acababa en una punta afilada
to be at the sharp end estar en primera línea de fuego they are living at the sharp end of the recession son los que se llevan la peor parte de la recesión; son los más afectados por la recesión
having seen active service in Northern Ireland, you've been at the sharp end, so to speak he found himself at the wrong end of a gun or the sharp end of a deal and sworn vengeance The children benefit from having regular playmates, and some mothers feel such an arrangement helps them to feel that, as one mother put it, `they are still at the sharp end of motherhood, even though they do work I wanted to experience the `sharp end of motherhood # coping with the baby at either end of the day Nigel Spink, the man who will be at the sharp end when Aston Villa go out to face Inter-Milan in the San Siro on Wednesday troops who are at the sharp end of the war in the Gulf these men are at the sharp end of law enforcement
2 (abrupt, acute) [+bend, angle] cerrado; [+rise, drop, turn by car] brusco there's been a sharp rise in the rate of inflation The British two party system encourages sharp fluctuations in policy Prices fell by 2.1 percent last month. It was the sharpest drop in five months a sharp right hand bend I was approaching a fairly sharp bend that swept downhill to the left the plane climbed at a sharp [angle] the ground fell away at a sharp angle
he made a sharp turn to the left giró bruscamente a la izquierda
Do not cross the bridge but make a sharp left turn to go down to the towpath
3 (of person) (alert) avispado; perspicaz; (unscrupulous) listo; vivo; [+mind] agudo; perspicaz you'll have to be sharper than that tendrás que espabilarte; he's as sharp as they come es de lo más listo or vivo
he is very sharp, a quick thinker and swift with repartee you'll find her a very sharp opponent he may be old but his mind's still sharp
his sharp eyes spotted a free seat sus ojos de lince vieron un asiento libre; I have to keep a sharp eye on him con él tengo que estar ojo avizor; sharp practice artimañas (f)
He obtained possession of the properties that were ours by means of a dodge, which to say the least was sharp practice A BT letter told customers they were getting the system free for a three-month trial. The letter did not say that they would continue to be charged for the service, unless they wrote and asked for it to be stopped. It is sharp practice In the used car market, sharp practice abounds I would simply be replaced by another player for the second week. This did seem to be an open invitation to sharp practice within the rules to have sharp [reflexes]
to be as sharp as a needle ser más listo que el hambre I'm not saying there was anything wrong with Mrs Ryan mentally. There wasn't. She could be as sharp as a needle when she chose. Sometimes a bit too sharp, in fact, always criticizing Mrs Baird
4 (brusque) [+retort] seco; cortante; [+rebuke, tone] áspero; severo; [+tongue] afilada; mordaz Sometimes you feel like offering a sharp retort but you know it won't help matters he opened his mouth ready to give a sharp retort but I was quicker this action triggered a sharp rebuke today from Israel Her sharp tone seemed to give him second thoughts about his attitude His sharp tongue and piercing, blue-eyed stare have shot down many an opponent she is well-known for her sharp tongue that ruling has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups "don't contradict your mother" was Charles' sharp reprimand
to have a sharp tongue tener la lengua afilada; tener una lengua viperina
despite her moods and sharp tongue she inspires fierce loyalty from her friends
to be sharp with sb ser seco or cortante con algn
there was no need to be so sharp with him - he was only asking a question I'm sorry I was a bit sharp with you yesterday
5 (strong) [+taste] ácido; [+smell, cheese] fuerte a colourless, almost odourless liquid with a sharp, sweetish taste the air was sharp with the smell of cordite the sharp odour of stale vomit hung in the air
6 (clear, well-defined) [+outline, image] nítido; [+contrast] claro; marcado; [+sound] claro; [+features] marcado; anguloso can you get the picture a bit sharper? video equipment with sharper images like a compact disc, the MD has clear, sharp sound because it's a digital recording the sharp contrast between Scottish and British politics the sharp distinction between the Church and the world The meeting revealed \sharp divisions\ among those attending the summit in sharp relief Her shoulder blades stood out in sharp relief from her back The debate threw into sharp relief Conservative divisions over family policy to bring sth into sharp [focus] Bring the picture into sharper focus by adjusting the lens
these issues have been brought into sharp focus by the economic crisis la crisis económica ha situado estos temas en primer plano
7 (intense) [+pain] agudo; [+cold, wind] cortante; [+frost] fuerte The pain in Toni's knee was sharp and showed no signs of lessening This gave her a sharp, tingling sensation the wind was not as sharp and cruel as it had been There was a sharp frost last night
a sharp blow to the head un fuerte golpe en la cabeza; with a sharp cry she jumped back soltando un grito agudo retrocedió de un salto
with difficulty I restrained a sharp cry
8 (stylish) [+suit] elegante he was a sharp dresser vestía con mucha elegancia
he wears really sharp suits
