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Glite Dictionary
sharp-eared

sharp-eared

4.9
Able to hear very quiet sounds
  • adjective
  • /ʃɑrp-ɪrd/
translation icon : con buen oído
  • The sharp-eared detective caught the slight rustle of footsteps behind him.

Examples

  • The sharp-eared musician quickly noticed the off-key note in the symphony.

  • The only way gossip got out was through those sharp-eyed, sharp-eared informants on every film: a wardrobe assistant, a script girl, a makeup artist, who acted as paid pipelines to the columnists.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • With her sharp-eared abilities, she was able to hear the faintest whispers across the room.

Synonyms

quick-eared
vssharp-eared
6.8

Able to hear very quiet sounds

gives more detail by mentioning detection of faint sounds

Antonyms

deaf
212 1.0

Not able to hear, completely or partly

hard of hearing
13 3.4

A person who can hear some sounds but not well

How Keen

sharp-eared
4.9
hearing
192 1.0

Surface Forms

sharp-eared positive

Morphology

sharp-eared = sharp + eared (transparent) = sharp + ear + ed

The adjective is a straightforward compound of 'sharp' + 'eared' (where 'eared' = ear + -ed), so the meaning is directly derived from its parts.

Etymology

Sharp-eared comes from the common word sharp ('pointed' or 'keen') and ear ('the hearing organ'), so it gives the image of someone whose ears are 'keen' and who can hear very well.