• Sharply

    Pronunciation

    Origin

    sharp + -ly

    Full definition of sharply

    Adverb

    sharply

    1. In a sharp manner; pertaining to precision.
      • 2011, November 11, Rory Houston, Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland, Walters tried a long range shot in the third minute as he opened the game sharply, linking well with Robbie Keane, but goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko gathered the ball with ease.
    2. Intellectually alert and penetrating.
      • 1922, w, The Cuckoo in the Nest Chapter 1, Peter, after the manner of man at the breakfast table, had allowed half his kedgeree to get cold and was sniggering over a letter. Sophia looked at him sharply. The only letter she had received was from her mother. Sophia's mother was not a humourist.
      • 2013 June 18, Simon Romero, "Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2013)The economy has slowed to a pale shadow of its growth in recent years; inflation is high, the currency is declining sharply against the dollar — but the expectations of Brazilians have rarely been higher, feeding broad intolerance with corruption, bad schools and other government failings.
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