Bright vs. Sharp

Brightadjective

Visually dazzling; luminous, lucent, clear, radiant; not dark.

‘Could you please dim the light? It's far too bright.’;

Sharpadjective

Able to cut easily.

‘I keep my knives sharp so that they don't slip unexpectedly while carving.’;

Brightadjective

Having a clear, quick intellect; intelligent.

‘He's very bright. He was able to solve the problem without my help.’;

Sharpadjective

(colloquial) Intelligent.

‘My nephew is a sharp lad; he can count to 100 in six languages, and he's only five years old.’;

Brightadjective

Vivid, colourful, brilliant.

‘The orange and blue walls of the sitting room were much brighter than the dull grey walls of the kitchen.’;

Sharpadjective

Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded.

‘Ernest made the pencil too sharp and accidentally stabbed himself with it.’; ‘a sharp hill; a face with sharp features’;

Brightadjective

Happy, in spirits.

‘I woke up today feeling so bright that I decided to have a little dance.’;

Sharpadjective

(music) Higher than usual by one semitone (denoted by the symbol ♯ after the name of the note).

Brightadjective

Sparkling with wit; lively; vivacious; cheerful.

Sharpadjective

(music) Higher in pitch than required.

‘The orchestra's third violin several times was sharp about an eighth of a tone.’;

Brightadjective

Illustrious; glorious.

Sharpadjective

Having an intense, acrid flavour.

‘Milly couldn't stand sharp cheeses when she was pregnant, because they made her nauseated.’;

Brightadjective

Clear; transparent.

Sharpadjective

Sudden and intense.

‘A pregnant woman during labor normally experiences a number of sharp contractions.’;

Brightadjective

(archaic) Manifest to the mind, as light is to the eyes; clear; evident; plain.

Sharpadjective

(colloquial) Illegal or dishonest.

‘Michael had a number of sharp ventures that he kept off the books.’;

Brightnoun

An artist's brush used in oil and acrylic painting with a long ferrule and a flat, somewhat tapering bristle head.

Sharpadjective

(colloquial) Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interests; shrewd.

‘a sharp dealer;’; ‘a sharp customer’;

Brightnoun

(obsolete) splendour; brightness

Sharpadjective

Exact, precise, accurate; keen.

‘You'll need sharp aim to make that shot.’;

Brightnoun

(neologism) A person with a naturalistic worldview with no supernatural or mystical elements.

Sharpadjective

Offensive, critical, or acrimonious.

‘sharp criticism’; ‘When the two rivals met, first there were sharp words, and then a fight broke out.’;

Brightnoun

The high-beam intensity of motor vehicle headlamps.

‘Your brights are on.’;

Sharpadjective

(colloquial) Stylish or attractive.

‘You look so sharp in that tuxedo!’;

Brightverb

See Brite, v. i.

Sharpadjective

Observant; alert; acute.

‘Keep a sharp watch on the prisoners. I don't want them to escape!’;

Brightadjective

Radiating or reflecting light; shedding or having much light; shining; luminous; not dark.

‘The sun was bright o'erhead.’; ‘The earth was dark, but the heavens were bright.’; ‘The public places were as bright as at noonday.’;

Sharpadjective

Forming a small angle; especially, forming an angle of less than ninety degrees.

‘Drive down Main for three quarters of a mile, then make a sharp right turn onto Pine.’;

Brightadjective

Transmitting light; clear; transparent.

‘From the brightest winesHe 'd turn abhorrent.’;

Sharpadjective

Steep; precipitous; abrupt.

‘a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve’;

Brightadjective

Having qualities that render conspicuous or attractive, or that affect the mind as light does the eye; resplendent with charms; as, bright beauty.

‘Bright as an angel new-dropped from the sky.’;

Sharpadjective

Said of as extreme a value as possible.

‘Sure, any planar graph can be five-colored. But that result is not sharp: in fact, any planar graph can be four-colored. That is sharp: the same can't be said for any lower number.’;

Brightadjective

Having a clear, quick intellect; intelligent.

Sharpadjective

(chess) Tactical; risky.

Brightadjective

Sparkling with wit; lively; vivacious; shedding cheerfulness and joy around; cheerful; cheery.

‘Be bright and jovial among your guests.’;

Sharpadjective

Piercing; keen; severe; painful.

‘a sharp pain; the sharp and frosty winter air’;

Brightadjective

Illustrious; glorious.

‘In the brightest annals of a female reign.’;

Sharpadjective

Eager or keen in pursuit; impatient for gratification.

‘a sharp appetite’;

Brightadjective

Manifest to the mind, as light is to the eyes; clear; evident; plain.

‘That he may with more ease, with brighter evidence, and with surer success, draw the bearner on.’;

Sharpadjective

(obsolete) Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.

Brightadjective

Of brilliant color; of lively hue or appearance.

‘Here the bright crocus and blue violet grew.’;

Sharpadjective

Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty.

Brightnoun

Splendor; brightness.

‘Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear.’;

Sharpadjective

Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone; aspirated; unvoiced.

Brightadverb

Brightly.

‘I say it is the moon that shines so bright.’;

Sharpadverb

To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply.

Brightadjective

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts;

‘the sun was bright and hot’; ‘a bright sunlit room’;

Sharpadverb

(notcomp) Exactly.

‘I'll see you at twelve o'clock sharp.’;

Brightadjective

having striking color;

‘bright greens’; ‘brilliant tapestries’; ‘a bird with vivid plumage’;

Sharpadverb

(music) In a higher pitch than is correct or desirable.

‘I didn't enjoy the concert much because the tenor kept going sharp on the high notes.’;

Brightadjective

characterized by quickness and ease in learning;

‘some children are brighter in one subject than another’; ‘smart children talk earlier than the average’;

Sharpnoun

(music) The symbol ♯, placed after the name of a note in the key signature or before a note on the staff to indicate that the note is to be played a semitone higher.

‘The pitch pipe sounded out a perfect F♯ (F sharp).’; ‘Transposition frequently is harder to read because of all the sharps and flats on the staff.’;

Brightadjective

having lots of light either natural or artificial;

‘the room was bright and airy’; ‘a stage bright with spotlights’;

Sharpnoun

(music) A note that is played a semitone higher than usual; denoted by the name of the note that is followed by the symbol ♯.

Brightadjective

made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow;

‘bright silver candlesticks’; ‘a burnished brass knocker’; ‘she brushed her hair until it fell in lustrous auburn waves’; ‘rows of shining glasses’; ‘shiny black patents’;

Sharpnoun

(music) A note that is sharp in a particular key.

‘The piece was difficult to read after it had been transposed, since in the new key many notes were sharps.’;

Brightadjective

splendid;

‘the bright stars of stage and screen’; ‘a bright moment in history’; ‘the bright pageantry of court’;

Sharpnoun

(music) The scale having a particular sharp note as its tonic.

‘Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is written in C♯ minor (C sharp minor.)’;

Brightadjective

not made dim or less bright;

‘undimmed headlights’; ‘surprisingly the curtain started to rise while the houselights were still undimmed’;

Sharpnoun

Something that is sharp.

‘Place sharps in the specially marked red container for safe disposal.’;

Brightadjective

clear and sharp and ringing;

‘the bright sound of the trumpet section’; ‘the brilliant sound of the trumpets’;

Sharpnoun

A sharp tool or weapon.

Brightadjective

characterized by happiness or gladness;

‘bright faces’; ‘all the world seems bright and gay’;

Sharpnoun

(medicine) A hypodermic syringe.

Brightadjective

abounding with sunlight;

‘a bright sunny day’; ‘one shining norming’; ‘when it is warm and shiny’;

Sharpnoun

A scalpel or other edged instrument used in surgery.

Brightadjective

full or promise;

‘had a bright future in publishing’; ‘the scandal threatened an abrupt end to a promising political career’;

Sharpnoun

A dishonest person; a cheater.

‘The casino kept in the break room a set of pictures of known sharps for the bouncers to see.’; ‘This usage is often classified as variant spelling of shark, and unrelated to the 'pointed' or 'cutting' meanings of sharp.’;

Brightadverb

with brightness;

‘the stars shone brilliantly’; ‘the windows glowed jewel bright’;

Sharpnoun

Part of a stream where the water runs very rapidly.

Brightadjective

giving out or reflecting much light; shining

‘the sun was dazzlingly bright’; ‘her bright, dark eyes’;

Sharpnoun

A sewing needle with a very slender point, more pointed than a blunt or a between.

Brightadjective

full of light

‘the rooms are bright and spacious’;

Sharpnoun

(in the plural) Fine particles of husk mixed with coarse particle of flour of cereals; middlings.

Brightadjective

(of a period of time) having sunny, cloudless weather

‘the long, bright days of June’;

Sharpnoun

An expert.

Brightadjective

(of colour) vivid and bold

‘the bright green leaves’;

Sharpnoun

A sharpie (member of Australian gangs of the 1960s and 1970s).

Brightadjective

having a vivid colour

‘a bright tie’;

Sharpverb

(music) To raise the pitch of a note half a step making a natural note a sharp.

‘That new musician must be tone deaf: he sharped half the notes of the song!’;

Brightadjective

intelligent and quick-witted

‘a bright young journalist’; ‘a bright idea’;

Sharpverb

To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.

Brightadjective

cheerful and lively

‘she gave a bright smile’; ‘at breakfast she would be persistently bright and chirpy’;

Sharpverb

To sharpen.

Brightadjective

(of someone's future) likely to be successful and happy

‘these young people have a bright future ahead of them’;

Sharpadjective

Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen.

‘He dies upon my scimeter's sharp point.’;

Brightadjective

(of sound) clear, vibrant, and typically high-pitched

‘her voice is fresh and bright’;

Sharpadjective

Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged; as, a sharp hill; sharp features.

Brightadverb

brightly

‘a full moon shining bright’;

Sharpadjective

Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash.

Brightnoun

bold and vivid colours

‘a choice of colours from pastels through to brights’;

Sharpadjective

High in pitch; acute; as, a sharp note or tone.

Brightnoun

headlights switched to full beam

‘he turned the brights on and we drove along the dirt road’;

Sharpadjective

Very trying to the feelings; piercing; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air.

‘Sharp misery had worn him to the bones.’; ‘The morning sharp and clear.’; ‘In sharpest perils faithful proved.’;

Sharpadjective

Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe; as, a sharp rebuke.

‘To that place the sharp Athenian lawCan not pursue us.’; ‘Be thy words severe,Sharp as merits but the sword forbear.’;

Sharpadjective

Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever; as, a sharp eye; sharp sight, hearing, or judgment.

‘Nothing makes men sharper . . . than want.’; ‘Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the sharpest philosophers have never ye arrived at clear and distinct ideas.’;

Sharpadjective

Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen; as, a sharp appetite.

Sharpadjective

Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous.

‘A sharp assault already is begun.’;

Sharpadjective

Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer.

‘The necessity of being so sharp and exacting.’;

Sharpadjective

Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty; as, sharp sand.

Sharpadjective

Steep; precipitous; abrupt; as, a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve.

Sharpadjective

Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated.

Sharpadverb

To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply.

‘The head [of a spear] full sharp yground.’; ‘You bite so sharp at reasons.’;

Sharpadverb

Precisely; exactly; as, we shall start at ten o'clock sharp.

Sharpnoun

A sharp tool or weapon.

‘If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs.’;

Sharpnoun

The character [$] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch.

Sharpnoun

A portion of a stream where the water runs very rapidly.

Sharpnoun

A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps.

Sharpnoun

Same as Middlings, 1.

Sharpnoun

An expert.

Sharpverb

To sharpen.

Sharpverb

To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone.

Sharpverb

To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper.

Sharpverb

To sing above the proper pitch.

Sharpnoun

a musical notation indicating one half step higher than the note named

Sharpnoun

a long thin sewing needle with a sharp point

Sharpadjective

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined;

‘a sharp photographic image’; ‘the sharp crack of a twig’; ‘the crisp snap of dry leaves underfoot’;

Sharpadjective

ending in a sharp point

Sharpadjective

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions;

‘an acute observer of politics and politicians’; ‘incisive comments’; ‘icy knifelike reasoning’; ‘as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang’; ‘penetrating insight’; ‘frequent penetrative observations’;

Sharpadjective

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence;

‘a smart businessman’; ‘an astute tenant always reads the small print in a lease’; ‘he was too shrewd to go along with them on a road that could lead only to their overthrow’;

Sharpadjective

harsh;

‘sharp criticism’; ‘a sharp-worded exchange’; ‘a tart remark’;

Sharpadjective

high-pitched and sharp;

‘piercing screams’; ‘a shrill whistle’;

Sharpadjective

extremely steep;

‘an abrupt canyon’; ‘the precipitous rapids of the upper river’; ‘the precipitous hills of Chinese paintings’; ‘a sharp drop’;

Sharpadjective

keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point;

‘a sharp pain’; ‘sharp winds’;

Sharpadjective

very penetrating and clear and sharp in operation;

‘an incisive mind’; ‘a keen intelligence’; ‘of sharp and active intellect’;

Sharpadjective

having or made by a thin edge or sharp point; suitable for cutting or piercing;

‘a sharp knife’; ‘a pencil with a sharp point’;

Sharpadjective

sour or bitter in taste

Sharpadjective

raised in pitch by one chromatic semitone;

‘C sharp’; ‘B natural’;

Sharpadjective

very sudden and in great amount or degree;

‘a sharp drop in the stock market’;

Sharpadjective

quick and forceful;

‘a sharp blow’;

Sharpadverb

changing suddenly in direction and degree;

‘the road twists sharply after the light’; ‘turn sharp left here’;