acute

play

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

Definition of acute

acuter

;

acutest

1a (1) : characterized by sharpness or severity acute pain (2) : having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course acute disease (3) : being, providing, or requiring short-term medical care (as for serious illness or traumatic injury) acute hospitals an acute patientb : lasting a short time acute experiments
2 : ending in a sharp point: such asa : being or forming an angle measuring less than 90 degrees an acute angleb : composed of acute angles an acute triangle
3a of an accent mark : having the form ´b : marked with an acute accentc : of the variety indicated by an acute accent
4a : marked by keen discernment or intellectual perception especially of subtle distinctions an acute thinkerb : responsive to slight impressions or stimuli acute hearing
5 : felt, perceived, or experienced intensely acute distress
6 : demanding urgent attention an acute emergency

acutely

adverb

acuteness

noun

See acute defined for English-language learners

See acute defined for kids

Examples of acute in a Sentence

an acute sense of humor
It's a politically acute film that does not oversimplify the issues.

Recent Examples of acute from the Web

Americans under 65—the crisis for traditional TV couldn’t be more acute.

— derek thompson, The Atlantic, "Why the ‘End of TV’ Is Great for Facebook and Google", 2 June 2017
There is also an acute lack of basic food stuffs, mainly maize, during famine, which affects all segments of the population.

— vincent kituku, idahostatesman, "Drought produces famine in Kenya", 2 June 2017
The cause was acute cardiac pulmonary arrest and end-stage renal disease, said a daughter, Kristin Burke. Col.

— Washington Post, "Notable deaths in the Washington area", 1 June 2017
This may represent a shift from acute to chronic pain.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Blocking chronic pain that's currently out of drugs' reach", 31 May 2017
First, the fact that starvation can be so rapidly acute.

— jackson landers, Smithsonian, "What a Vampire Bat Can Teach Us About the Economics of Friendship", 31 May 2017
A study released last year involving acute leukemia patients found that African-Americans’ chances of finding a match were half that of white patients, McGuirk said.

— donna mcguire, kansascity, "Sickle cell cure is real, as this Kansas patient proves", 29 May 2017
The Jefferson Parish coroner's office determined Joseph died of acute schizophrenic psychosis exacerbated by an unusually high level of the antihistamine diphenhydramine -- also known by the brand name Benadryl -- in his system.

— michelle hunter, NOLA.com, "Family calls for firing of Gretna officers in death of Kendole Joseph", 26 May 2017
Noroviruses are the most common cause of acute stomach and intestinal infections in the United States and are highly contagious.

— loretta kalb, sacbee, "School programs in Davis will close Friday as norovirus spreads in Yolo", 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acute'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Ways to be acute

For such a short and simple-looking word, acute has a rather bewildering range of meanings. It first entered the English language with a medical sense, referring to the sharpness or severity of a symptom. It retains this meaning today, but can also refer to the severity of more general matters, such as "acute embarrassment" or "an acute shortage."

Acute is also frequently used to describe less troublesome matters, such as keenness of perception ("an acute observer" or "an acute sense of smell"), a type of angle (one measuring less than 90 degrees), or the demand for urgent attention ("acute danger").

Origin and Etymology of acute

Middle English, from Latin acutus, past participle of acuere to sharpen, from acus needle; akin to Latin acer sharp — more at edge

NEW!

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of acute

acute, critical, crucial mean of uncertain outcome. acute stresses intensification of conditions leading to a culmination or breaking point. an acute housing shortage critical adds to acute implications of imminent change, of attendant suspense, and of decisiveness in the outcome. the war has entered a critical phase crucial suggests a dividing of the ways and often a test or trial involving the determination of a future course or direction. a crucial vote

synonyms see in addition sharp

ACUTE Defined for English Language Learners

acute

play

adjective

Definition of acute for English Language Learners

: very serious or dangerous : requiring serious attention or action
: having or showing an ability to think clearly and to understand what is not obvious or simple about something
: very strong and sensitive : highly developed

ACUTE Defined for Kids

acute

play

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

Definition of acute for Students

acuter

;

acutest

1 : measuring less than 90 degrees acute angles
2 : marked by or showing an ability to understand things that are not obvious an acute observation
3 : severe, sharp acute pain
4 : developing quickly and lasting only a short time acute illness
5 : critical 4, urgent an acute shortage of food
6 : very strong and sensitive an acute sense of smell

acutely

adverb

acuteness

noun

Medical Dictionary

acute

play

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

Medical Definition of acute

1: sensing or perceiving accurately, clearly, effectively, or sensitively acute vision
2a: characterized by sharpness or severity of sudden onset acute pain brought on by injury an acute infectionb (1): having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course acute illness an acute inflammation—compare chronic 2a (2): acute care an acute hospitalc: lasting a short time acute experiments