What does "sharpie" mean?
An alert person.
Sharpie
/ˈʃɑɹpi/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An alert person.
- Grammar: sharpie is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adventurer, bettor, bunco artist, busy bee.
- Useful contrasts: erasable marker.
- Usage evidence: Eunice Marshall asked in a bored tone, "Are you, by any chance, selling magazines?" Daisy grinned childishly, enjoying Eunice's mistake. "You're quite a sharpie, aren't you, ma'am? You figured me out a whole lot faster than most people do."
How to use "sharpie"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sharpie" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sharpie" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sharpie" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sharpie" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sharpie" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adventurer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sharpie", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An alert person. colloquial
"Eunice Marshall asked in a bored tone, "Are you, by any chance, selling magazines?" Daisy grinned childishly, enjoying Eunice's mistake. "You're quite a sharpie, aren't you, ma'am? You figured me out a whole lot faster than most people do.""
- 2 A permanent marker of the above brand.
- 3 a shallow-draft sailboat with a sharp prow, flat bottom, and triangular sail; formerly used along the northern Atlantic coast of the United States wordnet
- 4 A knowledgeable fisherman. US, regional
"1976 December, Ken Schultz, Field & Stream Fishing Contest Winners: Nothing but the Best, Field & Stream, page 78, Eventually DeBlasio became a sharpie. In New York and New Jersey coastal fishing parlance a “sharpie” is one who fishes seven days a week all summer long, selling his fish to the market to make a living. Sharpies supposedly have fishing down to a science, to such a degree that they only go to particular places, at particular times, using particular fishing methods, and come back with a boatload of fish while everyone else wonders in amazement."
- 5 a pen with indelible ink that will write on any surface wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A swindler. US
"Three booths down a couple of sharpies were selling each other pieces of Twentieth Century Fox, using double arm gestures instead of money."
- 7 a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games wordnet
- 8 A long, narrow fishing boat used in shallow waters. US
"He brought this pair of sharpies, the Lucia and the Ella, to Beaufort by schooner and began to use them for fishing, oyster dredging, and even as a passenger ferry and party boat. The sharpie is a flat-bottomed, shallow-draft vessel of moderate size, comparable to a sloop or schooner."
- 9 an alert and energetic person wordnet
- 10 Clipping of sharp-shinned hawk. US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"It is harder to gauge the shorter tail of sharpies, but on sitting birds the tail shape is a more useful character than it is on flying birds. Sharpies of all ages and sexes almost always show a notched tail when they are sitting."
- 11 Clipping of sharp-tailed sandpiper. Australia, New-Zealand, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"The bird looked of a similar character to a knot/pec sandpiper/sharpie, but the exact size was difficult to judge[.]"
- 12 A member of a violent, fashionably dressed youth gang of the 1960s and 1970s. Australia
"The Circle Ballroom in High Street Preston was another popular sharpie hang-out.[…]Sharpies were all deep drinkers."
- 13 A Sharpie or other brand of felt-tipped marker pen.
Proper Noun
- 1 A brand of pointed permanent markers used primarily for labeling items in boldface, signing autographs, etc.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
erasable marker
Example
"Eunice Marshall asked in a bored tone, "Are you, by any chance, selling magazines?" Daisy grinned childishly, enjoying Eunice's mistake. "You're quite a sharpie, aren't you, ma'am? You figured me out a whole lot faster than most people do.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sharpie"?
Common synonyms include: adventurer, bettor, bunco artist, busy bee, card shark, card sharp.
How do you use "sharpie" in a sentence?
Eunice Marshall asked in a bored tone, "Are you, by any chance, selling magazines?" Daisy grinned childishly, enjoying Eunice's mistake. "You're quite a sharpie, aren't you, ma'am? You figured me out a whole lot faster than most people do."
How do you pronounce "sharpie"?
Pronounced /ˈʃɑɹpi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From sharp + -ie (“diminutive suffix”).
Etymology 2
From sharp + -ie.