acute

[ uh-kyoot ]

/ əˈkyut /

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See synonyms for: acute / acutely / acuteness 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 ane 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.

SYNONYMS FOR acute

3 sudden, extreme, 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 dull.

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QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of acute

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin acūtus “sharpened,” past participle of acuere (acū-, verb stem, akin to acus “needle,” ācer “sharp” + -tus past participle suffix)

synonym study for acute

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM acute

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

non·a·cute, adjectivenon·a·cute·ness, nouno·ver·a·cute, adjectiveo·ver·a·cute·ness, nounsu·per·a·cute, adjectivesu·per·a·cute·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH acute

acute , chronic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for acute

Research has shown that antiviral medications administered shortly after the onset of symptoms were found to be effective against acute viral infections such as flu.
Can This Antiviral Approach Treat COVID-19?|Charu Kasturi|November 19, 2020|Ozy
If you’re rehabbing an acute injury, check in with a physical therapist before beginning this routine.
Strength Training for Lower-Back Pain|Lauren Bedosky|November 18, 2020|Outside Online
Candia said the older brother was suffering from acute heat stroke after spending two hours in the car’s trunk.
Texas activists rally behind human trafficking victims|Michael K. Lavers|November 18, 2020|Washington Blade
Both parties united to stop Metzger from winning in November, with the national Democratic chair calling his primary victory “an acute embarrassment.”
Politics Report: Gloria Goes Business With New Team|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|November 14, 2020|Voice of San Diego

The act of foraging, a completely unchanged activity in a pandemic, possesses the acute ability to make me forget about the state of things entirely.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World|Danny Palumbo|November 12, 2020|Eater
His perception was still exceptionally alert, its acuteness left over, apparently, from the earlier days of pain and jealousy.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
But I have enough mental acuteness to see that the religion of Jeremy Taylor was cowardly, and gloomy, and untrue.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Among the former are acuteness and quickness of vision, the power of grasping complex subjects, and a good memory.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks
Her loss of sight had been more than compensated by an extraordinary acuteness of mental vision.
The Hidden Places|Bertrand W. Sinclair
That is the way of female intellects when they are good; nothing equals their acuteness, and their rapidity is almost excessive.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. I. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle

British Dictionary definitions for acute

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 of acute

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

Medical definitions for acute

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.

Scientific definitions for acute

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.

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acute

adjective

noun

SYNONYMS FOR acute

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QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of acute

synonym study for acute

OTHER WORDS FROM acute

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH acute

Example sentences from the Web for acute

British Dictionary definitions for acute

adjective

noun

Derived forms of acute

Word Origin for acute

Medical definitions for acute

adj.

Scientific definitions for acute

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

acute

adjective

noun

SYNONYMS FOR acute

ANTONYMS FOR acute

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Origin of acute

synonym study for acute

OTHER WORDS FROM acute

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH acute

Words related to acute

Example sentences from the Web for acute

British Dictionary definitions for acute

adjective

noun

Derived forms of acute

Word Origin for acute

Medical definitions for acute

adj.

Scientific definitions for acute