ACUTELY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

acutely

adverb

Definition of acutely

as in keenly

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of acutely Vance’s comments also seemed to suggest that the administration was more acutely focused on the economic impact of the war than the original aims of the war itself. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 The shortage is costing Ukraine most acutely, where cities some nights appear defenseless to Moscow’s rocket assaults. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 Millennials were acutely aware of growing labor market instability. — Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Advertisement The health effects of heat waves were felt acutely this summer. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 In addition to bufotenine, the cane toad produces an array of other chemicals, several of them acutely toxic. — Kimon De Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026 The district has felt the strain more acutely in recent years after billions in federal pandemic relief dollars ran dry. — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 Pre-workout supplements increase energy and athletic performance acutely, while collagen strengthens connective tissue and helps prevent injury over time. — Megan Nunn, Verywell Health, 29 July 2026 Emery’s inclination for wide forwards is well known, but acutely demonstrated in Garnacho’s case. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acutely

Adverb

Passkey architects have been keenly aware of this difference, which is largely necessary for Windows backward-compatibility reasons.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Nevertheless, Xi is keenly aware of the risks and political consequences of significant disruptions to China’s food supplies.

— Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of keenly

Adverb

The Houthis have vowed to close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway through which Saudi Arabia exports up to 7 million barrels of oil a day, now that access to the Strait of Hormuz is severely restricted.

— Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Lower-income households feel these pressures more severely, since gas represents a larger proportional share of the budget.

— Catherine Brock, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

It’s been swinging sharply recently and pinballed between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that a deal in the war could allow oil tankers to freely exit the Middle East again and deliver crude worldwide.

— Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Clashes escalated sharply in February when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adverb

Our range includes a meandering cowboy odyssey that sprawls from a nowhere town in Texas to Big Sky country, a poignantly observant memoir from a wild child Dreamlander, and a careful dissection of a situationship set to the rhythms of 1970s Brazil.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
The reunion, poignantly, took place at Charles’s country home, Highgrove House, where Harry spent much of his childhood.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 July 2026

Definition of poignantly

Adverb

And then, the organization's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, harshly came out against the plan, releasing a statement to the Associated Press, saying FIFA's staff had been blindsided by it.

— Rafael Nam, NPR, 31 July 2026
Like other senior bankers, Sehnaoui was harshly criticized following Lebanon's historic economic meltdown in 2019, when most people lost access to their money.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of harshly

Adverb

Chef Steven Pham is still simmering his signature Northern Vietnamese-style pho ga, which features a soul-piercingly clear broth, tender poached chicken, rice noodles, and a floating raft of fresh herbs.

— Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
The Towode Door Stop Alarm is a budget-friendly, highly effective safety tool that functions as a wedge door stop and a piercingly loud alarm when activated.

— Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026

Definition of piercingly

Adverb

The movie’s strongest sequences provide the all-too-rare sensation of truly not being able to believe your eyes, as the film’s most fantastical elements feel distressingly real.

— Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
The event was halted after an hour due to fears about her safety, which distressingly encapsulates a tension that the trans Mayan artist has navigated for years.

— Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of distressingly

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“Acutely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acutely. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of acutely

adverb

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