Viilentyä

Viilentyä is a Finnish verb meaning to become sharper or more keen. It is most commonly used to describe the physical sharpening of a blade, tool, or edge, but it can also be used metaphorically to indicate that a situation, argument, or tone has grown more pointed or precise. In practical terms, viilentyä often refers to a process of refinement or increase in sharpness through experience, use, or deliberate action. For example, a knife edge may viilentyä with proper sharpening, and a debate can viilentyä as participants respond more directly and incisively.

Etymology and usage notes on the sense include its traditional association with the act of filing or sharpening. While the root is commonly linked to the idea of making something more refined, some nuances of meaning can blur with figurative uses. The sense related to cooling or softening is typically expressed with other phrases in Finnish, whereas viilentyä is primarily employed for sharpening or intensification.

Grammatical notes: Viilentyä is an intransitive verb. It follows standard Finnish conjugation for -ntyä verbs, with past tense forms such as viilentyi and present forms like viilentyy, depending on tense and subject. The noun form is viilentyminen (the act of becoming sharper).

See also: viila, viilaus, terä, terävyys.