📒 the outside limit of an object, a surface or an area; the part furthest from the centre
- I gripped the edge of my desk to steady myself.
- the first spacecraft to travel to the edge of the solar system.
- on the edge of something He stood on the edge of the cliff.
📒 the sharp part of a knife, blade or sword that is used for cutting
- Be careful—it has a sharp edge.
- a knife with a serrated edge
📒 the point at which something, especially something bad, may begin to happen
- They had brought the country to the edge of disaster.
📒 a slight advantage over somebody/something
- The company needs to improve its competitive edge.
- edge on/over somebody/something They have the edge on us.
- Their training gave them an extra edge.
📒 a strong, often exciting, quality
- Her show now has a hard political edge to it.
📒 a sharp tone of voice, often showing anger
- He did his best to remain calm, but there was a distinct edge to his voice.
📒 having the type of edge or edges mentioned
- a lace-edged handkerchief
📒 to be nervous, excited or easily made angry
- He was of a nervous disposition.
- She became neurotic about keeping the house clean.
- She was always on edge before an interview.
📒 to be in a difficult situation where any mistake may be very dangerous
- Social workers operate on the razor’s edge.
📒 to start to come apart or to fail
- Support for the leader was fraying at the edges.
📒 very excited and giving your full attention to something
- The game had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
- I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next.
📒 to force somebody to lose control of their behaviour, usually after a particular event or series of events
- No one knows exactly what caused his breakdown, but losing his job may have pushed him over the edge.
📒 (to have some) small parts, for example in a performance or in your character, that are not yet as good as they should be
- The ballet still had some rough edges.
- He had a few rough edges knocked off at school.
- The films are very rough around the edges.
📒 to make somebody feel physically uncomfortable
- Just the sound of her voice sets my teeth on edge.
📒 to make something less strong, less bad, etc.
- The sandwich took the edge off my appetite.
- I just need something to take the edge off.
- I took an aspirin to take the edge off the pain.
📒 to be very close to a very unpleasant or dangerous situation
- The country is teetering on the edge of civil war.