sharpen
gb/ʃˈɑɹpən/ us/ʃˈɑɹpən/
A2
Anglais
~ 9700
megélez, kihegyez, fejleszt, csiszol, fokoz, kiélesít, élesít, élesedik
VERBE
A2
1
Schéma d’usage :
to sharpen [something]
He took the knife outside to sharpen it on the stone.
Kivitte a kést a szabadba, hogy megélezze a fenőkövön.
Can you sharpen this pencil for me before the meeting?
Ki tudnád hegyezni ezt a ceruzát a megbeszélés előtt?
The chef always sharpens her knives before service.
The hunter stopped to sharpen the point of his arrow.
Use this tool to sharpen your garden shears once a month.
Exemples pédagogiques
I need to sharpen my pencil.
Ki kell hegyeznem a ceruzámat.
The cook sharpens the big knife every day.
A szakács mindennap megélezi a nagy kést.
He used a stone to sharpen the old blade.
Please sharpen these scissors; they do not cut well.
She went to the machine to sharpen her colored pencils.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes say *make it more sharp* instead of *sharpen it*. Use the verb *sharpen* when talking about making a tool, knife, or pencil sharp.
Sens
make a blade or point sharp
Collocations
sharpen a pencil
|sharpen a knife
|sharpen the blade
|sharpen the point
|sharpen the scissors
|sharpen tools
Synonymes
hone (More often used for blades and tools, slightly more technical or formal.)
|
grind (Focuses on the physical process of wearing something down, not always to make it sharp.)
Antonymes
dull (Means to make an edge less sharp so it does not cut well.)
Thèmes
daily life
|tools
|work
|daily_life
Définition
To make the edge or point of something sharp so it can cut or write better.
To make the edge or point of something thinner and keener so that it can cut or pierce more effectively.
VERBE
B2
2
Schéma d’usage :
to sharpen [someone's] [skill/ability]
The course is designed to sharpen your communication skills.
A tanfolyam célja, hogy fejlessze a kommunikációs készségeidet.
Playing chess regularly can sharpen your strategic thinking.
A rendszeres sakkozás fejlesztheti a stratégiai gondolkodásodat.
She moved abroad to sharpen her language skills.
The team hired a coach to sharpen their defense before the tournament.
Reading every day will sharpen your writing style over time.
Exemples pédagogiques
I want to sharpen my English before I travel.
Szeretném fejleszteni az angolomat, mielőtt elutazom.
This class helps students sharpen their speaking skills.
Ez az óra segít a diákoknak fejleszteni a beszédkészségüket.
Practice will sharpen your guitar skills.
He watches games to sharpen his understanding of football.
The company offers training to sharpen workers' computer skills.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may say *make my skills more sharp* instead of *sharpen my skills*. Use *sharpen* directly with abstract nouns like *skills*, *abilities*, or *strategy*.
Sens
improve a skill or ability
Collocations
sharpen your skills
|sharpen your English
|sharpen your game
|sharpen their strategy
|sharpen professional skills
|sharpen your writing
Synonymes
refine (Suggests making small, careful improvements to something already good.)
|
develop (Broader and more general; does not always suggest precision or fine-tuning.)
Antonymes
neglect (If you neglect a skill, you do not practice it, so it becomes weaker instead of sharper.)
Thèmes
education
|work
|self-improvement
Définition
To make a skill or ability better and more exact, usually by practice.
To make a skill, ability, or way of doing something more effective or precise, often through practice or training.
VERBE
B2
3
Schéma d’usage :
to sharpen [abstract noun]
Coffee in the morning helps sharpen my focus.
A reggeli kávé segít jobban összpontosítanom.
The cold air seemed to sharpen her senses as she stepped outside.
A hideg levegő mintha kiélesítette volna az érzékeit, ahogy kilépett.
The crisis only served to sharpen public anger at the government.
Living abroad can sharpen your awareness of cultural differences.
The smell of garlic and herbs sharpened his appetite.
Exemples pédagogiques
A short break can sharpen your focus.
Egy rövid szünet segíthet jobban koncentrálni.
The strong smell of food sharpened my hunger.
Az étel erős illatától még éhesebb lettem.
The loud noise sharpened his fear.
Travel can sharpen your awareness of other cultures.
The teacher asked a question to sharpen the students' attention.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes overuse *increase* and do not use *sharpen* with abstract nouns. Use *sharpen* when the feeling or attention becomes not only stronger, but also more clear or focused, as in *sharpen your focus* or *sharpen awareness*.
Sens
intensify or clarify senses or feelings
Collocations
sharpen your focus
|sharpen the senses
|sharpen awareness
|sharpen the appetite
|sharpen tensions
|sharpen expectations
Synonymes
heighten (Stresses making something stronger, especially feelings or awareness, without the idea of precision.)
|
intensify (Focuses on strength, not on clarity or accuracy.)
Antonymes
dull (In this abstract sense, *dull* means to weaken feelings or reduce attention and awareness.)
Thèmes
emotions
|psychology
|daily life
|health
Définition
To make a feeling, sense, or attention stronger and clearer.
To make a sense, feeling, emotion, or state such as attention, awareness, or appetite stronger or more precise.
VERBE
B2
4
élesít
B2
Schéma d’usage :
to sharpen [image/sound/line]
Use this filter to sharpen the image before printing.
Nyomtatás előtt élesítsd a képet ezzel a szűrővel.
The editor asked the designer to sharpen the logo so it looks crisp on screen.
A szerkesztő megkérte a grafikust, hogy élesítse a logót, hogy a képernyőn is éles legyen.
You can sharpen the photo slightly to bring out more detail.
The audio engineer managed to sharpen the sound of the singer's voice.
Zooming in too far will make it hard to sharpen the picture properly.
Exemples pédagogiques
I used an app to sharpen the photo.
Egy alkalmazással élesítettem a fotót.
This tool can sharpen the lines in your drawing.
Ez az eszköz élesebbé tudja tenni a rajzod vonalait.
She tried to sharpen the picture, but it was too dark.
The program lets you sharpen the edges of the image.
He clicked a button to sharpen the sound in the video.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse *sharpen* with *zoom* or *enlarge*. *Sharpen* is about clarity and detail, not about size.
Sens
make image or sound clearer
Collocations
sharpen the image
|sharpen the photo
|sharpen the picture
|sharpen the edges
|sharpen the sound
|sharpen the contrast
Synonymes
enhance (General term for improving quality; does not specifically refer to edges or contrast.)
|
clarify (Can be used for sound or image, but is less technical and more general than *sharpen*.)
Antonymes
blur (Means to make an image or line less clear and less sharp, often the direct opposite action in editing.)
Thèmes
technology
|media
|art
Définition
To make a picture, video, or sound clearer and easier to see or hear, often with a computer tool.
To increase the clarity, detail, or contrast of an image, sound, or edge, especially using tools or software.
VERBE
C1
5
élesedik
B2
Schéma d’usage :
[something] sharpens
As the fog lifted, the outline of the mountains slowly sharpened.
Ahogy felszállt a köd, a hegyek körvonala lassan élesedni kezdett.
The picture sharpened as the camera found its focus.
A kép élesedett, ahogy a kamera megtalálta a fókuszt.
Public debate sharpened in the weeks before the election.
His features seemed to sharpen as he lost weight.
Competition has sharpened over the past few years.
Exemples pédagogiques
When you turn the ring, the image sharpens.
Ha elfordítod a gyűrűt, élesedik a kép.
As the clouds moved, the view of the city sharpened.
Ahogy elvonultak a felhők, élesebbé vált a város látványa.
Before the test, students' attention sharpens.
Over time, the conflict between the two groups sharpened.
Her senses sharpened when she heard a strange sound.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use *sharpen* only as a transitive verb. It can also be intransitive, as in *the image sharpened* or *tension sharpened*.
Sens
become sharp, clear, or intense
Collocations
image sharpens
|focus sharpens
|tension sharpens
|competition sharpens
|senses sharpen
|features sharpen
Synonymes
intensify (Stresses strength; *sharpen* also suggests clarity or definition.)
|
clarify (Similar when talking about ideas or images becoming clearer, but less about edges or precision.)
Antonymes
blur (When an image or boundary blurs, it becomes less sharp or clear, the opposite of sharpening.)
Thèmes
daily life
|emotions
|situations
|core_vocabulary
Définition
To get sharper, clearer, or stronger by itself, without someone directly making it so.
To become sharper, clearer, or more intense, either physically or in an abstract sense.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
sharpen
API
GB/ʃˈɑɹpən/
US/ʃˈɑɹpən/
Syllabes et accentuation
sharpen (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (sharpen)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: sharpen
- 3rd Person Singular: sharpens
- Present Participle: sharpening
- Past: sharpened
Famille de mots
Expressions
sharpen someone's skills
1/ʃˈɑɹpən sˈʌmwˌʌnz skˈɪlz/
fixed phrase
improve someone's skills
To make a person's skills better and more exact, usually by practice or learning.
Exemples
- This workshop will help sharpen your leadership skills.
- He took evening classes to sharpen his computer skills.
sharpen the appetite
1/ʃˈɑɹpən ðə ˈæpɪtˌaɪt/
fixed phrase
make someone more hungry
To make someone feel more hungry and want to eat more.
Exemples
- A short walk before dinner can sharpen the appetite.
- The smell of fresh bread really sharpened my appetite.
sharpen the contrast
1/ʃˈɑɹpən ðə kˈɑntɹæst/
fixed phrase
technical
increase contrast or difference
To make the difference clearer, especially between light and dark in a picture, or between two ideas.
Exemples
- You can sharpen the contrast in the photo to make the colors pop.
- The writer sharpened the contrast between the two characters' choices.
sharpen up
1/ʃˈɑɹpən ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
improve or become more focused
To improve how you act, work, or think, and become more careful, focused, or effective.
Exemples
- You need to sharpen up if you want to keep this job.
- The coach told the players to sharpen up before the second half.
- Her work has really sharpened up since the last review.
sharpen your focus
1/ʃˈɑɹpən jˈʊɹ fˈoʊkəs/
fixed phrase
increase your concentration
To make your attention stronger and more directed at one thing.
Exemples
- Turn off notifications to sharpen your focus while studying.
- Meditation can help you sharpen your focus at work.
sharpen your mind
1/ʃˈɑɹpən jˈʊɹ mˈaɪnd/
fixed phrase
make your thinking clearer
To make your thinking faster, clearer, and better at solving problems.
Exemples
- Puzzles and reading can help sharpen your mind as you get older.
- Learning a new language is a great way to sharpen your mind.
sharpen your wits
1/ʃˈɑɹpən jˈʊɹ wˈɪts/
idiom
improve quick mental reactions
To make your quick thinking and clever reactions better and faster.
Exemples
- You’ll need to sharpen your wits to win this game.
- Debate club is a good place to sharpen your wits.