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sharpness

sharpness

5 3.2
How clear and detailed an image or sound appears
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɑːrp.nəs/
translation icon : nitidez
  • The sharpness of the photograph allows every detail to be seen clearly.
  • image sharpness
  • resolution and sharpness
  • exposure and sharpness

Bigger peaking better also corresponds to more sharpness.

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Examples

  • Look at the amount of detail and sharpness that you get from a photo like this.

  • A tripod is essential to ensure maximum sharpness and to fine-tune the composition.

    Academic text (1996)
  • So how much of a difference does that extra sharpness actually make?

  • I would really like to achieve the type of sharpness that is found in this photo.

    Blog text (32)
  • I just bought one and did some tests based on your sharpness testing guide.

    Blog text (14)
  • The sharpness of the image will change just as in the normal lens, but the size will be the same.

  • Let me know what you think of the lighting and the sharpness of the camera, and if the focusing is any good.

  • Azaria's voice had lost its sharpness, and there was a look of concern in her dark brown eyes.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • By removing the anti-aliasing filter, there is a much-improved sharpness to the image.

    Academic text (2008)
  • A dog barked in the distance, a long staccato peal that died away with jarring sharpness.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

focus
vssharpness
104 2.5

A situation when an image or idea is clear and sharp

is about physical or sensory clearness like edges or sounds rather than abstract clarity
resolution
vssharpness
  • Specialized
91 3.9

How clear and detailed an image or screen looks

is a more general sense of clearness rather than measured detail
definition
vssharpness
41 2.8

How clear and easy it is to see the shape or small details of something

is broader, covering general clear quality beyond outlines or single details
crispness
vssharpness
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Clear, sharp look of an image that shows fine detail

is broader, applying to clearness across senses including sound
distinctness
vssharpness
1 5.5

How clear and easy to recognize a shape or sound is

is a general quality of being clear across edges, images, and sounds

Antonyms

146 4.2

A hazy image or memory that is hard to see clearly

5 2.5

A gentle light or view with blurred edges

2 5.8

A blurry picture or idea hard to see and understand

How Clear

clarity
152 3.0
crispness
  • Specialized
1 3.7
sharpness
5 3.2
blurriness
2 4.5

Surface Forms

sharpness singular
sharpnesses plural

Morphology

sharpness = sharp (transparent) = sharp + ness

Clarity or acuity in image or sound is a common adjectival use of 'sharp', so forming the noun is straightforward.

Etymology

Sharpness comes from an old German word and the English word sharp, which also meant 'clear' or 'keen'. So the sharpness of an image or sound means it is very clear and easy to see or hear, as if the lines are well cut.