edge

1 of 2

noun

ˈej How to pronounce edge (audio)
plural edges
Synonyms of edgenext
1
a
: the cutting side of a blade
a razor's edge
b
: the sharpness of a blade
a knife with no edge
c(1)
: force, effectiveness
blunted the edge of the legislation
(2)
: vigor or energy especially of body
maintains his hard edge
d(1)
: incisive or penetrating quality
writing with a satirical edge
(2)
: a noticeably harsh or sharp quality
her voice had an edge to it
(3)
: a secondary but distinct quality
rock music with a bluesy edge
e
: keenness or intensity of desire or enjoyment
lost my competitive edge
2
a
: the line where an object or area begins or ends : border
on the edge of a plain
b
: the narrow part adjacent to a border
the edge of the deck
c(1)
: a point near the beginning or the end
especially : brink, verge
on the edge of disaster
(2)
: the threshold of danger or ruin
living on the edge
d
: a favorable margin : advantage
has an edge on the competition
3
: a line or line segment that is the intersection of two plane faces (as of a pyramid) or of two planes
4
edges : short fine hair that grows along a person's hairline : baby hair
With carefully finessed edges in delicate swoop and wave designs, hairstyles as simple as a high ponytail or sleek bob can quickly be transformed into a work of art …—Devon Abelman
—usually singular when used before another noun
edge styling
edgeless adjective

edge

2 of 2

verb

edged; edging

transitive verb

1
a
: to give an edge to
b
: to be on an edge of
trees edging the lake
2
: to move or force gradually
edged him off the road
3
: to incline (a ski) sideways so that one edge cuts into the snow
4
: to defeat by a small margin
—often used with out
edged out her opponent

intransitive verb

: to advance by short moves
Phrases
on edge
: anxious, nervous

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of edge in a Sentence

Noun They peered over the edge of the roof. The fabric was frayed at the edge. He made us all nervous by standing so close to the edge of the cliff. She sat on the edge of the counter, swinging her legs. the edge of an ax His voice had a sarcastic edge. These amendments will blunt the edge of the legislation. Verb Edge the sleeve with lace. She edged away from him. Gasoline prices have been edging upward. I edged my chair closer to the table. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Vogler experienced it on a virtual reality headset, which mimics the effect of being in the dome by removing the edges of the frame from the viewer’s peripheral vision. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023 From plush leather seats that reclined without compromising the leg room of passengers behind to windows that climbed to the edge of the roof, every detail felt truly luxe. —Jalyn Robinson, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2023 But many others, like Rose, also work armed: doctors, teachers, pastors, construction workers and guards at the gated developments constantly expanding the edge of town as rooftops replace ranches. —Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023 Collective movement, in which ants randomly wander off the edges of a raft formed by their companions, helps the colony search for land. —Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023 The cans can overheat unexpectedly, burning hands and fingers, and come with their share of sharp edges. —Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2023 At the same time, the NBC News survey shows Democrats with just a 2-point edge on which party better looks out for the middle class, with 36% picking the Democratic Party and 34% selecting the GOP. —Mark Murray, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2023 Coupe or convertible, the latest Continental GT combines bold sports styling with an agile drive, resulting in a luxury grand tourer with a thrilling edge. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2023 The Browns had a build-around defensive star in edge rusher Myles Garrett and a good offensive line that freed up resources elsewhere. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2023
Verb
Europe stock indexes edged lower, while Asian ones mostly rose. —WSJ, 27 Sep. 2023 So the overriding issue will be to continue that trend and prevent Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby from zeroing in on Herbert. —Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023 Confidence: Medium For this weekend, high pressure edges slightly closer to us, decreasing cloud cover. —Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023 Once the musings of movie makers and authors, self-driving cars are finally beginning to edge into reality. —Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023 Consumer sentiment overall tracked by the University of Michigan edged down in September from the prior month by 1.8 points, mostly due to gloomier attitudes about the economy’s current situation. —Bryan Mena, CNN, 15 Sep. 2023 Steelers still lead, 19-14. 3Q, 14:34 Now edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is down on the field, but is able to get up and walk off the field, with help from the medical staff of course. —Irie Harris, cleveland, 18 Sep. 2023 During the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party, the lack of communication across the Taiwan Strait edged the situation closer to potential conflict. —Hou Yu-Ih, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2023 Jakob Ingebrigtsen delivered another crowd-pleasing finish Sunday by edging Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha in the 3000m with a lunge at the finish line. —oregonlive, 17 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'edge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English egge, going back to Old English ecg "cutting side of a blade, border," going back to Germanic *agjō "cutting side of a blade" (whence also Old Frisian eg "cutting side of a blade, sword," Old Saxon eggia, Old High German egga, ekka "cutting side of a blade, border, point, corner," Old Norse egg "cutting side of a blade"), feminine noun derivative from Indo-European *h2eḱ- "sharp, pointed," whence also Latin aciēs "sharp part of a weapon"

Note: The base *h2eḱ- "sharp, pointed" was productive of a large number of suffixed derivatives in the Indo-European daughter languages. Latin had a verbal base deriving from h2eḱ-eh1- "to be sharp" (see acetic acid, acid entry 2) and a presumed adjectival stem *acū- "sharp" (see acute). An apparently isolated derivative is Greek akmḗ "highest point" (see acme). For the derivative *h2eḱ-r-/h2oḱ-r-, with outcomes in Greek, Latin, and other languages, see acro-, mediocre. See also awn, ear entry 2.

Verb

Middle English eggen "to set (the teeth) on edge," derivative of egge edge entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of edge was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing edge

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Dictionary Entries Near edge

Edgar

edge

edgebone

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edge. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

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Kids Definition

edge

1 of 2 noun
ˈej How to pronounce edge (audio)
1
a
: the cutting side of a blade
a knife's edge
b
: the sharpness of a blade
a razor with no edge
c
: a harsh or sharp quality
his voice had a sarcastic edge
2
a
: the line where an object or surface begins or ends
also : the narrow part next to it
the edge of the deck
b
: the line where two plane faces of a solid meet
an edge of the cube
3
: advantage sense 3
our experience gave us an edge
edged
ˈejd
adjective

edge

2 of 2 verb
edged; edging
1
: to give an edge to
edge a sleeve with lace
2
: to advance slowly or by short moves
edged my chair closer

More from Merriam-Webster on edge

Nglish: Translation of edge for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of edge for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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