The Adverb of Sharp: Sharply
The adverb of sharp is sharply.
How sharply is formed
Add -ly with no change to the adjective: sharp + ly = sharply.
The default pattern, as in neat → neatly and poor → poorly.
Sharply in a sentence
| Prices rose sharply in March. | A steep change. Extremely common in financial writing. |
| She turned sharply to face him. | Suddenly and with force. |
| The report sharply criticised the decision. | Severely. |
Where it is actually used
Knowing the form is one thing; knowing the company a word keeps is what makes it sound natural. These are the patterns sharply appears in most often.
| rose / fell / dropped sharply | The dominant use in news and finance. |
| sharply divided / critical / worded | Strong disagreement. |
| turned / veered sharply | An abrupt change of direction. |
Sharply or something else?
Several adverbs sit close to sharply, and the difference is usually meaning rather than formality.
| steeply | Only about gradient or rate, never about tone. Steeply critical is not English. |
| abruptly | About suddenness alone, with no sense of severity. |
| harshly | Only about criticism or treatment, never about movement or numbers. |
The mistake to watch for
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The meeting starts at nine sharply. | The meeting starts at nine sharp. |
Like tight, sharp is itself an adverb in a small set of fixed phrases, and the -ly form sounds wrong in them.
When plain sharp is correct: at six o’clock sharp (exactly), turn sharp left (abruptly), look sharp (be quick). These are fixed, and substituting sharply makes them sound wrong.
Related forms
Pronunciation: SHARP-lee, two syllables.
| Adjective | sharp |
| Adverb | sharply or sharp |
| Noun | sharpness |
| Verb | sharpen |
Practice
Fill the gap, then check yourself.
- Unemployment fell ___ last quarter.
- Be there at seven ___.
- The road bends ___ after the bridge.
Answers: 1. sharply 2. sharp 3. sharply
Frequently asked
Can sharply describe a smell or taste?
Rarely as an adverb. For those senses the adjective does the work: a sharp cheese, a sharp smell.
