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acute

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

: 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

acut·eracut·est

Full Definition of ACUTE

a (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 patient>

b : lasting a short time <acute experiments>

: ending in a sharp point: as

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

b : composed of acute angles <an acute triangle>

a of an accent mark : having the form ´

b : marked with an acute accent

c : of the variety indicated by an acute accent

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

b : responsive to slight impressions or stimuli <acute hearing>

: felt, perceived, or experienced intensely <acute distress>

: demanding urgent attention <an acute emergency>

— acute·ly adverb

— acute·ness noun

See acute defined for English-language learners

See acute defined for kids

Origin of ACUTE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ACUTE

Synonyms: delicate, fine, keen, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp

Antonyms: noncritical, nonurgent

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

Rhymes with ACUTE

astute, Asyût, bear fruit, beetroot, Beirut, birthroot, bloodroot, breadfruit, butut, cahoot, Canute, catsuit, cheroot, choucroute, clubroot, commute, compute, confute, crapshoot, cube root, deaf-mute, depute, dilute, dispute, dry suit, elute, en route, enroot, flight suit, folkmoot, freeboot, galoot, grapefruit, G suit, hardboot, hip boot, hirsute, imbrute, impute, jackboot, jackfruit, jumpsuit, kashruth, lawsuit, long suit, lounge suit, minute, nonsuit, offshoot, outshoot, Paiute, pantsuit, permute, playsuit, pollute, pursuit, recruit, refute, repute, salute, sans doute, seaboot, snowsuit, solute, square root, star fruit, star route, statute, strong suit, sunsuit, sweat suit, swimsuit, take root, taproot, to boot, tracksuit, trade route, transmute, tribute, uproot, volute, wet suit, zoot suit

ACUTE Defined for Kids

acute

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

acut·eracut·est

Definition of ACUTE for Kids

: measuring less than 90 degrees <acute angles>

: marked by or showing an ability to understand things that are not obvious <an acute observation>

: severe, sharp <acute pain>

: developing quickly and lasting only a short time <acute illness>

: critical 4, urgent <an acute shortage of food>

: very strong and sensitive <an acute sense of smell>

— acute·ly adverb

— acute·ness noun

Medical Dictionary

acute

adjective \ə-ˈkyüt\

Medical Definition of ACUTE

: sensing or perceiving accurately, clearly, effectively, or sensitively <acute vision>

a : characterized by sharpness or severity <acute pain> <an acute infection> b (1) : having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course <an acute disease> <an acute inflammation>—compare chronic 2a (2) : acute care <an acute hospital> c : lasting a short time <acute experiments>

—acute·ly adverb

—acute·ness noun