Library / English Dictionary

SHARPLY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (adverb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

In an aggressive manner

Example:

she was being sharply questioned

Synonyms:

aggressively; sharply

Classified under:

Adverbs

Sense 2

Meaning:

In a well delineated manner

Example:

the new style of Minoan pottery was sharply defined

Synonyms:

crisply; sharply

Classified under:

Adverbs

Pertainym:

sharp ((of something seen or heard) clearly defined)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Very suddenly and to a great degree

Example:

prices rose sharply

Synonyms:

precipitously; sharply

Classified under:

Adverbs

Sense 4

Meaning:

Changing suddenly in direction and degree

Example:

her shoes had acutely pointed toes

Synonyms:

acutely; sharp; sharply

Classified under:

Adverbs

Pertainym:

sharp (very sudden and in great amount or degree)

Credits

 Context examples: 

And as he was cold, he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his fire, he could not get warm.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

“Well, young gentleman!” said he, sharply.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"How do you know that, sir?" asked Summerlee, sharply.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“And to what end?” she asked sharply.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“What do you mean?” Von Bork asked sharply.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“My will? Yes, certainly, I know that,” said the doctor, a trifle sharply.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He cut sharply across the curve of the trail and was gone.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He had a brisk kind of way with him and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of time.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This temporary increase in methane — sharply up and then back down — tells us there must be some relatively localized source, biological or non-biological, such as interaction of water and rock.

(Curiosity Detects Methane Spike on Mars, NASA)

The most common form is talipes equinovarus, where the deformed foot is turned downward and inward sharply.

(Clubfoot, NCI Thesaurus)