acute

[ uh-kyoot ]

/ əˈkyut /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR acute ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

sharp or severe in effect; intense: acute sorrow; an acute pain.

extremely great or serious; crucial; critical: an acute shortage of oil.

(of disease) brief and severe (opposed to chronic).

sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception: an acute observer.

extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions: acute eyesight.

sharp at the end; ending in a point.

Geometry.

(of an angle) less than 90°.
(of a triangle) containing only acute angles.

consisting of, indicated by, or bearing the mark ´, placed over vowel symbols in some languages to show that the vowels or the syllables they are in are pronounced in a certain way, as in French that the quality of an e so marked is close; in Hungarian that the vowel is long; in Spanish that the marked syllable bears the word accent; in Ibo that it is pronounced with high tones; or in classical Greek, where the mark originated, that the syllable bears the word accent and is pronounced, according to the ancient grammarians, with raised pitch (opposed to grave): the acute accent; an acute e.

noun

the acute accent.

Nearby words

acupuncture, acupuncturist, acus, acusector, acutance, acute, acute abdomen, acute accent, acute adrenocortical insufficiency, acute african sleeping sickness, acute alcoholism

Origin of acute

1560–70; < Latin acūtus sharpened, past participle of acuere (acū-, v. stem, akin to acus needle, ācer sharp + -tus past participle suffix)

SYNONYMS FOR acute

3 sudden, distressing, violent.

4 keen, astute, discerning, perceptive, intelligent, perspicacious; sharp-witted, clever, smart, bright, ingenious, brilliant; knowing, wise, sage, sagacious, sapient.

5 keen.

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ANTONYMS FOR acute

1, 4, 5 dull.

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Related forms

a·cute·ly, adverba·cute·ness, nounhy·per·a·cute, adjectivehy·per·a·cute·ly, adverb

hy·per·a·cute·ness, nounnon·a·cute, adjectivenon·a·cute·ly, adverbnon·a·cute·ness, nouno·ver·a·cute, adjectiveo·ver·a·cute·ly, adverbo·ver·a·cute·ness, nounsu·per·a·cute, adjectivesu·per·a·cute·ly, adverbsu·per·a·cute·ness, noun

Can be confused

acute chronic

Synonym study

4. Acute, penetrating, shrewd imply a keenness of understanding, perception, or insight. Acute suggests particularly a clearness of perception and a realization of related meanings: an acute intellect. Penetrating adds the idea of depth of perception and a realization of implications: a wise and penetrating judgment. Shrewd adds the idea of knowing how to apply practically (or to one's own advantage) what one perceives and understands: wary and shrewd.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for acutely

When the body of Johnson was exhumed, the medical examiner was acutely chagrined when six .22 caliber rounds were removed from it.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In all, 38 samples were collected from 23 acutely infected patients.
Did One Liberian Prostitute Give Ebola to Eight Soldiers?|Kent Sepkowitz|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They, too, would be acutely nervous about revealing the capabilities of their assets.
The Worst Place in the World for MH370 to Go Missing|Clive Irving|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
McKamey had already been acutely aware of the danger of head injury in football.
Navy Football Player Will McKamey Died This Week From Brain Injury. Who’s to Blame?|Michael Daly|March 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Cambridge, Harvard and Yale, among other top universities—also make them acutely vulnerable to eating disorders?
Are Britain’s Private Schools Breeding Grounds For Anorexia?|Emma Woolf|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The poor child felt this so acutely that she became ill, and had to keep her bed for several days.
The Childhood of Distinguished Women|Selina A. Bower
Bindlecombe clasped his hands nervously; he was acutely distressed—and not only for the threatened loss of his darling Institute.
The Great Miss Driver|Anthony Hope
Then Simon was bowing before the contessa, acutely aware of Sophia standing beside her.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel|Robert Shea
Maggie still stood close in front of me, so that I was acutely aware of my waistcoat buttons.
Wintry Peacock|D. H. Lawrence
I was acutely aware of dangers lurking for young girls in big cities.
The Fifth Wheel|Olive Higgins Prouty

British Dictionary definitions for acutely

acute

/ (əˈkjuːt) /

adjective

penetrating in perception or insight

sensitive to details; keen

of extreme importance; crucial

sharp or severe; intenseacute pain; an acute drought

having a sharp end or point

maths

(of an angle) less than 90°
(of a triangle) having all its interior angles less than 90°

(of a disease)

arising suddenly and manifesting intense severity
of relatively short durationCompare chronic (def. 2)

phonetics

(of a vowel or syllable in some languages with a pitch accent, such as ancient Greek) spoken or sung on a higher musical pitch relative to neighbouring syllables or vowels
of or relating to an accent (´) placed over vowels, denoting that the vowel is pronounced with higher musical pitch (as in ancient Greek), with a certain special quality (as in French), etcCompare (for senses 8a, 8b): grave, circumflex

(of a hospital, hospital bed, or ward) intended to accommodate short-term patients with acute illnesses

noun

an acute accent

Derived Forms

acutely, adverbacuteness, noun

Word Origin for acute

C14: from Latin acūtus, past participle of acuere to sharpen, from acus needle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for acutely

acute

[ ə-kyōōt′ ]

adj.

Pointed at the end; sharp.

Of or relating to a disease or a condition with a rapid onset and a short, severe course.

Of or relating to a patient afflicted with such a disease.

Science definitions for acutely

acute

[ ə-kyōōt′ ]

Reacting readily to stimuli or impressions, as hearing or eyesight; sensitive.

Relating to an illness that has a rapid onset and follows a short but severe course. Compare chronic.

Having an acute angle.