Sharpen

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈʃɑɹpən/

Definitions

1. To make or become more acute, pointed, or keen in edge, focus, or mental acuity
2. To enhance the sharpness or clarity of an object, idea, or skill, thereby increasing its effectiveness or precision
3. To improve the edge or angle of a tool or the focus of one's thoughts, making them more defined or impactful

Etymology: Sharpen is about as transparent as English verbs get: it is the adjective "sharp" with the verb-forming suffix "-en" attached, the same ending found in "widen," "deepen," and "lengthen." The adjective "sharp" is itself old, descending from Old English "scearp," and the Middle English verb "scharpenen" (also spelled "scharpnen") was simply the ordinary way to say "make sharp" once that suffix had been added to it. The surprise lies in how little the verb has moved from that sense. Its original job was physical: putting an edge on a blade, a stake, or a tool. The figurative uses, such as sharpening a wit, a focus, or an argument, grew out of that literal meaning by analogy, so the word has been describing the same action of making something keener from the start, just applied to more things than knives.

Synonyms: hone, whet, edge, grind, file

Antonyms: dull, blunt, soften, weaken, impair