acute

adjective

\ ə-ˈkyüt

acuter; acutest

Definition of acute

1a(1) : characterized by sharpness or severity of sudden onset acute pain

(2) : having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course acute illness

(3) : being, providing, or requiring short-term medical care (as for serious illness or traumatic injury) acute hospitals an acute patient

b : lasting a short time acute experiments

2 : ending in a sharp point: such as

a : being or forming an angle measuring less than 90 degrees an acute angle

b : composed of acute angles an acute triangle

3a of an accent mark : having the form ´

b : marked with an acute accent

c : of the variety indicated by an acute accent

4a : marked by keen discernment or intellectual perception especially of subtle distinctions an acute thinker

b : responsive to slight impressions or stimuli acute hearing

5 : felt, perceived, or experienced intensely acute distress

6 : demanding urgent attention an acute emergency

Other Words from acute Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Ways to Be Acute More Example Sentences Learn More about acute

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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").

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 on the Web

The problem is especially acute in elementary schools and widens the achievement gap, especially in lower income areas. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Padres go to bat for math and literacy," 7 Sep. 2019 The trail of commentary that young people leave online makes the question of what can be forgiven especially acute. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "What leads Harvard to rescind admission? Racism, plagiarism – and killing your mom.," 18 June 2019 The trail of commentary that young people leave online makes the question of what can be forgiven especially acute. — BostonGlobe.com, "What leads Harvard to rescind admission?," 18 June 2019 The problem is especially acute in school districts surrounding Detroit and Flint, according to a Free Press analysis of staffing and enrollment data from the Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information. — John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan schools face huge racial disparity — and it's hard to fix," 17 June 2019 Public dissatisfaction has been made especially acute by issues like the Kremlin’s dismantling of the Soviet-era pension benefits and other liberal reforms of the old welfare system. — Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, "Russians embrace Soviet ideals – by not paying their gas bills," 30 Jan. 2019 Declines have been especially acute in California, which administers one of the nation’s most difficult tests. — Sara Randazzo, WSJ, "New Test for Law Schools: Do Enough Graduates Pass the Bar?," 13 Jan. 2019 The dilemma is especially acute as the news media suffers from dwindling public confidence, a trend affecting many major American institutions. — Isaac Stanley-becker, The Seattle Times, "Critics demand networks fact-check Trump’s live immigration speech," 8 Jan. 2019 And the struggle is especially acute for low-income families, for which child obesity is a growing problem. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "To reduce your risk of obesity, it helps to have a mom who follows five healthy habits," 5 July 2018

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.

History and Etymology for acute

Middle English, borrowed from Latin acūtus "sharpened, pointed, having a violent onset, discerning, less than 90 degrees (of an angle)," from past participle of acuere "to sharpen, rouse, stimulate," probably derived from an otherwise unattested adjective stem acū- "sharp"; akin to acū-, acus "needle," a perhaps independently derived noun; further akin to Old Church Slavic osŭtŭ "thistle," Lithuanian ãšutas "hair of a horse's tail or mane"; all going back to the Indo-European base *h₂eḱ- "sharp" — more at edge entry 1