ACUTELY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

acutely

adverb

Definition of acutely

as in keenly

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Example Sentences

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 Americans have felt the cost acutely at the gas pump and in the supermarket aisles. — Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 24 June 2026 In those first days, the people closest to the disaster felt acutely the absence of any assistance from their own government. — Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026 Iran’s new leaders are acutely aware that Iranians remain restive and expect the government to ease their economic plight. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2026 Neusch was acutely aware of nerve-equivalent impulses reporting the beam penetrating the light armor, searing the bio-andy’s hip and thigh. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Virality, however, is not the same as long-term brand value, something ALO appears acutely aware of. — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 One of the most important writers in California history, Didion captured the Golden State more acutely than almost anyone else. — Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 25 June 2026 Damage from the campaign has been felt most acutely in Crimea, the four regions Russia occupies in Ukraine, the areas that border Ukraine, and, perhaps most notably, Moscow. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2026 The column underscores scientific warnings that smoke from the warehouse, including fine particulate matter and combustion byproducts from refrigerants and solar panels, can acutely harm lungs and carry long-term cancer risks, especially for children, pregnant people and older adults. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acutely

Adverb

Some stocks suffered keenly during the week, falling into oversold territory.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 June 2026
The deal shows that one of the most influential technology investment firms in Silicon Valley is keenly interested in the networking bottlenecks in building out AI infrastructure.

— R. Scott Raynovich, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Definition of keenly

Adverb

But the dramatic cut in drug production was also due in part to farmers being given alternative crops to the cultivation of opium poppies, De Croo said, noting that funding for such programs had been severely curtailed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
However, local journalism's ability to cover these profound changes is severely declining, with a 75% drop in local reporting since the early 2000s.

— Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of severely

Adverb

Duenas expected sales to climb sharply in the weeks leading up to the tournament and said his customers are coming from all walks of life, including fans from foreign countries.

— Dian Zhang, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Today, visitors can spot wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets among the sharply eroded buttes.

— Scott Bay, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026

Definition of sharply

Adverb

As Ethan, Stock was as perversely alienating as he was poignantly alienated.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026

Definition of poignantly

Adverb

Overthinking and procrastination are two of the habits people confess to most readily and blame on themselves most harshly, and two of the habits most often misread.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
That can be useful because jurors can be more reluctant to sentence a woman harshly, writes Victor Streib, a law professor at Elon University in North Carolina who has researched the treatment of women on death row.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 June 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 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
The basic themes of Hearst’s life and the novels that dramatize it remain distressingly relevant.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026

Definition of distressingly

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“Acutely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acutely. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of acutely

adverb

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