Things That Are Sharp

Welcome to our list of things that are sharp!

“Sharp” can mean a variety of things – sharp-tasting (like certain cheeses), sharp sounding (like a tinny-sounding bell or a harsh tone of voice). For this list, we’ve separated this list into sections of physically sharp things, and things that are sharp in other ways at the bottom. Hope you find what you’re after in our list of Things That Are Sharp!

Here’s a visual list of things that are sharp:

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Hopefully that visual list of sharp things was useful! Here’s a longer and more descriptive list of things that are sharp:

• Knife: A tool for cutting things in to smaller pieces.
• Blade: The sharp part of a knife. Usually made of metal.
• Box Cutter: A type of knife with a retractable blade.
• Razorblade: A specialised blade intended for cutting hair close to the skin.
• Shears: Heavy-duty scissors.
• Rotary Cutter: A type of cutter with a circular rotating blade.
• Bear Trap: A type of heavy metal trap with sharp spikes intended to trap larger animals.
• Scalpel: A specialised blade used for medical and surgical purposes.
• Shaver: A grooming device used to cut short hair.
• Scythe: A hand-held tool used for cutting grass and crops. Nowadays most commonly associated with the Grim Reaper.
• Sword: A combat weapon consisting of a long blade with a handle.   
• Bolt Cutters: A hand-held tool used for cutting chains, bolts and locks.
• Dagger: A knife with a sharp point which is used as a weapon.
• Cleaver: A large knife with a commonly rectangular blade.
• Lance: A long-handled weapon with a sharp point. Generally intended to be used by horseback riders.
• Steak Knife: A sharp table knife with a serrated edge.
• Spear: A pole weapon with a long handle and a sharp blade mounted on the end.
• Axe: Also known as an ax. A tool used to split wood.
• Machete: A long, broad blade which can be used like an axe (to cut wood or small plants) or in combat like a knife.  
• Bayonet: A knife which is fitted onto the end of a rifle.
• Fishing Hook: A hunting tool used to catch fish. 
• Barbed Wire: Steel wire which is made with sharp, protruding edges. Used to protect areas from unwanted visitors.
• Scissors: A handheld tool consisting of two blades that open and close together. Usually used to cut thin materials like paper or fabric.
• Tea Knife: A sharp metal pick used to break apart the compressed leaves in a tea cake.
• Letter Opener: Also known as a paper knife. A tool used to neatly slit open envelopes.
• Lawnmower Blade: A revolving blade that evenly cuts grass.
• Blender: A kitchen tool with revolving blades that cut and grind food down into smaller pieces.
• Arrowhead: The sharpened tip of an arrow. Generally used as a weapon.
• Cactus: A plant family that commonly lives in the desert and has very sharp prickles.
• Prickly Pear: A common type of cacti.
• Rose Thorns: Roses have strong, sharp thorns which are typically mildly hook-shaped.
• Durian: A fruit with a thick, sharply spiky rind.
• Thistle: A type of flower with sharp prickles.
• Jackfruit: A large fruit which looks very similar to durian, but with shorter (and more densely packed) spikes.
• Nettle: A type of plant with stinging needles or “hairs” that are painful to touch.
• Guillotine: Initially a tool used for execution through behading. Nowadays the name of a small tool used to efficiently cut paper.
• Chisel: A tool with an angled, sharp edge used for chipping and shaping wood, stone or metal.
• Saw: A tool used for cutting through wood. Has a serrated blade and a large handle.
• Hacksaw: A type of saw with a narrow blade.
• Chainsaw: A saw with a rotating blade that is mechanically powered. Used to cut through trees.
• Jigsaw: A power tool used for cutting irregular lines and curves in wood or metal.
• Throwing Knife: A small, sharp knife specialised for use as a throwing weapon.
• Shuriken: A Japanese throwing star now commonly associated with ninjas (especially the anime Naruto).
• Hatchet: A small, single-handed axe.
• Kunai: A Japanese throwing knife, nowadays commonly associated with ninjas.
• Dart: The small pointed missile thrown at a cork board during a game of darts.  
• Needle (sewing): A sharply pointed piece of metal used in embroidery, needlework and hand-sewing.
• Sewing Machine: A machine used for automatic sewing.
• Needle (medical): A sharp needle used to deliver medicine or draw blood.
• Safety Pin: A pin with a curved spring mechanism used to clasp pieces of material together.
• Pushpin: A thick pin used to hold items to boards.
• Nail Clipper: A grooming tool used to trim nails.
• Knitting Needles: Tools which are used to knot yarn together to produce fabric.
• Awl: A sharp hand tool used to pierce holes in materials thicker than printer paper.
• Hole Punch: An office tool used to pierce holes in multiple sheets of paper.  
• Pineapple: A sweet, acidic fruit with a spiky skin and sharp leaves.
• Porcupine: A large rodent with a coat of long, sharp spines.
• Echidna: A small mammal with sharp spines covering its back.
• Pufferfish: Also known as blowfish, porcupinefish and globefish. A fish covered in sharp spines which face outwards which the fish inflates its body.
• Stonefish: A fish covered in venomous spines.
• Lionfish: Also known as zebrafish, firefish, turkeyfish and butterfly-cod. A striped fish with long, venomous spikes.   
• Thorny Devil: Also known as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon or moloch. Covered entirely in harshly pointed spikes.
• Glass: A transparent material commonly used in making beads, windows, optics and tableware. Is sharp when broken.
• Beak: Also known as a bill or rostrum. The sharp, rigid “mouth” of a bird.
• Rock: A naturally occurring solid which can have jagged edges when not worn or sanded down.
• Claws: Curved, pointed body parts (similar to nails, but sharper and stronger).
• Teeth: Depending on the animal’s diet, teeth can be very sharp (like those of a shark).
• Cliff Face: A cliff face is composed of naturally broken, jagged rock.
• Can Opener: A device used to open sealed metal cans by cutting through the lid of the can.
• Vegetable Peeler: A kitchen device used to neatly peel fruit skin.
• Cheese Grater: Also known as a shredder. A kitchen utensil used for finely grating cheese (and other foods with a similar texture) into small strings.
• Sharpened Pencil: After being sharpened, pencils have a spiky point.
• Pencil Sharpener: A piece of stationery used to whittle down the tip of a pencil until the point is precise enough for writing or colouring.
• Hedgehog: A small mammal with a back covered in small spines.
• Staples: A small, u-shaped metal pin that is used to keep multiple pieces of paper together.
• Nail (body): Toughened keratin that is thin, hard, and can be filed down or sharpened.
• Nail (tool): A pin-shaped piece of metal used to hold materials (usually wood) together.
• Screw: A metal fastener that looks similar to a nail, but has a sharp, spiralling ridge down its length.  
• Ice: Frozen water. Broken ice can be jagged and sharp.  
• Plastic: A synthetic material that can be formed into sharp shapes, and can be jagged and sharp when broken into pieces.
• Tile: Square or rectangular pieces of pottery that can be made of ceramic, porcelain, glass, or stone. Can have sharp edges if not sanded down or if broken.
• Tusks: Long front teeth that protrude outwards from an animal’s face.
• Talons: Pointed claws that are used for hunting.
• Spines: Needle-like growths that appear in non-human animals.
• Horns: Pointed, bony protrusions that grow from the heads of some non-human animals.
• Icicle: A spike of ice which is formed when dripping water freezes.
• Acacia: A small, prickly shrub with yellow flowers.
• Agave: A plant with long, fleshy leaves that are rimmed with small barbs.
• Blackberry: A prickly, invasive plant with small, sweet berries.
• Bougainvillea: A family or thorny vines and trees that are popular as ornamental plants.
• Crown of Thorns: A large starfish with a covering of thorn-like spines.
• Firethorn: A family of large, thorny shrubs.
• Honey Locust: Also known as the thorny locust or thorny honeylocust. A tree with yellow colouring.
• Holly: A plant with red berries and spiky, dark green leaves.
• Oregon Grape: A shrub with small berries and spiny leaves.
• Porcupine Tomato: A plant with toxic leaves and fruit. Has long orange thorns over the stem and leaves.
• Hawthorn Tree: A tree with extremely sharp thorns covering the branches, twigs and trunk.
• Mountain Thistle: A plant that blooms with pale purple flowers and has long, sharp needles covering the leaves and stem.
• Wild Plum: A tree that has thorny branches.
• Sea Holly: Also known as holly mangrove. A plant with spiky leaves.
• Sarsparilla (plant): Woody, thorny plants with small red berries.
• Bee Stinger: Bees have sharp stingers that are used as a weapon. Most stingers are quite painful and can be venomous.
• Wasp Stinger: Very similar to bee stings.
• Caterpillar: Some caterpillars are covered in thin, prickly hairs as a form of both weaponry and self-defence.
• Sea Urchin: Marine animals covered in sharp spines.
• Paper: A material which is so thin that it has sharp edges that can cut human skin.
• Shark: It’s well known that sharks have sharp teeth, but they also have rough, sandpaper-like skin which can cut if you touch it.
• Tenrec: A small mammal covered in short spines.
• Cassowary: A tall, flightless bird with fluffy black feathers, a sharp beak and deadly talons.
• Emu: A tall, flightless bird with soft brown feathers. They have sharp beaks and talons.
• Guitar String: Guitar strings can be made of steel or nylon. The steel variety can be sharp enough to cut if you haven’t built up the callouses to protect your fingers while playing.
• Violin String: Violin strings are generally made of steel and can be sharp if you don’t have callouses and are sliding notes quickly.
• Poker: Also known as a fire iron. A metal instrument, commonly with a pointed end, used for tending to a fire.
• Diamonds: A solid form of carbon which is extremely hard and can be very sharp depending on the shape and cut. Is even used on the tips of drill bits.
• Gemstones: Hard minerals that can be sharp and jagged when natural or broken.
• Natal Plum: A fruit-bearing plant that has shiny green leaves and spines.
• Bramble: A bramble is a tangled, prickly shrub.
• Juniper Bush: Junipers have hard, sharp, needle-like leaves.
• Blue Spruce: A tree with hard, spiky leaves.
• Chinese Jujube: A fruit-bearing tree with thorny brances.
• Armadillo Spiny Tailed Lizard: A small lizard with thick scales and a spiny tail.
• Spiny Orb-Weaver: A spider with large spikes on their shell-like abdomens.
• Scaler: A dental tool which is used to remove tartar from teeth. Has a sharply pointed tip to access small areas.
• Dental Drill: A small drill used in a variety of common dental procedures.
• Sickle Probe (dentistry): Also known as a dental explorer. Has a long, sharply pointed tip and was used to probe teeth for cavities.
• Mountain Pine: Also known as bog pine, creeping pine, mugo pine, scrub mountain pine or swiss mountain pine. A type of conifer with sharp bark and ridged cones.
• Shovel: Shovels tend to have sharp tips for breaking through dirt.
• Foil: Thin aluminum used to wrap food. So thin it can be sharp if you aren’t careful while handling it.
• Garden Fork: Also known as a spading fork, digging fork or graip. A type of fork used to loosen and turn soil.
• Broadfork: Also known as a U-fork or grelinette. An implement used to break up dense soil to help with drainage and airflow.
• Pruning Saw: A smallish saw used to remove small branches and wayward leaves.
• Pitchfork: A gardening tool with long tines used to lift and move hay, leaves or straw.
• Grass Shears: Similar to pruning shears, but with longer handles.
• Katana: A Japanese sword with a long handle.
• Lopper: A type of pruner – similar to normal pruning shears but with much longer handles.
• Snips: Also known as shears. Hand tools used to cut through sheet metal. 
• Topiary Shears: Shears that are specialised for shaping dense bush.
• Swiss Army Knife: A small knife connected to other assorted hand tools.
• Compost Fork: A large fork used for turning and lifting compost.
• Trident: A spear with three large prongs. Historically used for spear fishing but more commonly known these days as a weapon.
• Hoe: A sharp-edged gardening tool used to shape soil and harvest crops.
• Wheel Edger: A gardening tool used to create distinct boundaries in lawns and garden landscapes.
• Edging Shears: A small, hand-held version of a wheel edger.  
• Trench Shovel: A specialised shovel for digging trenches with very straight, neat edges.    

Other (non-physically) sharp things:

• Cheddar: A hard cheese with a sharp taste.
• Blue Cheese: A type of cheese with cultures of mold mixed through it. Has a sharp, distinctive smell and taste.
• Sound: If loud or unexpected, many sounds can be described as sharp.
• Pain: Various types of pain can be categorised as sharp (like a toothache or a headache).
• Design: If a design is particularly aesthetically pleasing, it can be described as “sharp”.
• Glance: A quick or intense glance can be described as sharp.
• Instincts: If one has particularly fast or accurate instincts (or both), they’re sharp.
• Headache: When the pain from a headache is acute and stabbing rather than dull and throbbing.
• Outfit: An outfit which is very well put-together or aesthetically pleasing.   
• Suit: Well-made, well-cut suits that fit nicely are commonly referred to as “sharp”.
• Drop: If a fall is long and unexpected, then it’s a sharp drop.
• Turn: If a turn is over a certain angle, it’s thought to be sharp.
• Shock: If a shock is sufficiently large (whether the shock is emotional or physical) it can be called sharp.    
• Tongue: If someone is particularly mean or “cutting” with their words, they have “a sharp tongue”.
• Jawline: People with a particularly straight jawline are known to have a “sharp” jawline.
• Nose: Noses that are long and straight with a pointed tip are thought of as sharp.
• Scolding: A scolding which is either disproportionate or perhaps undeserved is thought of as sharp.
• Note (musical): A tone which is a semitone (so half a tone) higher than the “root” (original) tone is sharp.
• Words: Words that are a bit too harsh for the situation are known as being sharp.
• Mind: If someone is a quick thinker or able to solve situations and puzzles quite easily, they’re known to have a sharp mind.
• Reply: A reply that is very quick, witty or mean is sharp.   

We hope this list of sharp things was useful and that you found what you needed!

We did our best to cover all of the varied meanings of “sharp” with our visual gallery of sharp things and descriptive list. But if you feel there’s something we missed, please feel free to let us know and leave a comment.

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