acute

American  

[uh-kyoot] / əˈkyut /

adjective

1. sharp or severe in effect; intense.

   acute sorrow;

   an acute pain.

   Antonyms:

   dull, dull

2. extremely great or serious; crucial; critical.

   an acute shortage of oil.

3. (of disease) brief and severe (chronic ).

   Synonyms:

   violent, extreme, sudden

4. sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception.

   an acute observer.

   Synonyms:

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

   Antonyms:

   dull, dull

5. extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions.

   acute eyesight.

   Synonyms:

   keen

6. sharp at the end; ending in a point.

7. Geometry.

   1. (of an angle) less than 90°.

   2. (of a triangle) containing only acute angles.

8. Phonetics, Orthography. consisting of, indicated by, or bearing the diacritic ´, 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 (grave ): an acute e.

   the acute accent;

   an acute e.

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noun

1. Phonetics, Orthography. the acute accent.

acute British  

/ əˈkjuːt /

adjective

1. penetrating in perception or insight

2. sensitive to details; keen

3. of extreme importance; crucial

4. sharp or severe; intense

   acute pain

   an acute drought

5. having a sharp end or point

6. maths

   1. (of an angle) less than 90°

   2. (of a triangle) having all its interior angles less than 90°

7. 1. arising suddenly and manifesting intense severity

   2. of relatively short duration Compare chronic

8. phonetics

   1. (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

   2. Compare (for senses 8a, 8b): grave.   circumflex.  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), etc

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

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noun

1. an acute accent

acute Scientific  

/ ə-kyo̅o̅t′ /

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

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

3. Compare chronic

4. Having an acute angle.

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Related Words

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 Word Forms

• acutely adverb
• acuteness noun
• hyperacute adjective
• nonacute adjective
• overacute adjective
• superacute adjective

Etymology

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)

Example Sentences

It is because of issues in the global supply chain, with some stocks being reserved for those with acute conditions or emergency prescriptions.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

So everything he is doing now is about legacy, and with a malignant narcissist who knows that he may not be long for this earth, the danger that comes with those realizations is acute.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The problem is an acute shortage of housing.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Cargoes are diverting from Europe to Asia, where the shock from the Persian Gulf is most acute and traders can earn a premium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Why, Granddaddy had told me about a parrot who had lived past his century and learned over four hundred conversational phrases, as acute a mimic as any human being...

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• excruciating
• fierce
• keen
• overwhelming
• poignant
• severe
• sharp
• sudden