acute
Use Acute in a sentence
adjective
1.
sharp or severe in effect; intense: acute sorrow; an acute pain.
2.
extremely great or serious; crucial; critical: an acute shortage of oil.
3.
(of disease) brief and severe ( opposed to chronic ).
4.
sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception: an acute observer.
5.
extremely sensitive even to slight details or impressions: acute eyesight.
6.
sharp at the end; ending in a point.
7.
8.
consisting of, indicated by, or bearing the mark ´, placed over vowel symbols in some languages to show that the vowels or the syllables they are in are pronounced in a certain way, as in French that the quality of an e so marked is close; in Hungarian that the vowel is long; in Spanish that the marked syllable bears the word accent; in Ibo that it is pronounced with high tones; or in classical Greek, where the mark originated, that the syllable bears the word accent and is pronounced, according to the ancient grammarians, with raised pitch ( opposed to grave ): the acute accent; an acute e.
noun
9.
the acute accent.
00:10
Acute
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Origin:
1560–70; < Latin acūtus sharpened, past participle of acuere (acū-, v. stem, akin to acus needle, ācer sharp + -tus past participle suffix)
1560–70; < Latin acūtus sharpened, past participle of acuere (acū-, v. stem, akin to acus needle, ācer sharp + -tus past participle suffix)
Related forms
a·cute·ly, adverb
a·cute·ness, noun
hy·per·a·cute, adjective
hy·per·a·cute·ly, adverb
hy·per·a·cute·ness, noun
non·a·cute, adjective
non·a·cute·ly, adverb
non·a·cute·ness, noun
o·ver·a·cute, adjective
o·ver·a·cute·ly, adverb
o·ver·a·cute·ness, noun
su·per·a·cute, adjective
su·per·a·cute·ly, adverb
su·per·a·cute·ness, noun
Synonyms
3. sudden, distressing, violent. 4. keen, astute, discerning, perceptive, intelligent, perspicacious; sharp-witted, clever, smart, bright, ingenious, brilliant; knowing, wise, sage, sagacious, sapient. Acute, penetrating, shrewd imply a keenness of understanding, perception, or insight. Acute suggests particularly a clearness of perception and a realization of related meanings: an acute intellect. Penetrating adds the idea of depth of perception and a realization of implications: a wise and penetrating judgment. Shrewd adds the idea of knowing how to apply practically (or to one's own advantage) what one perceives and understands: wary and shrewd. 5. keen.
3. sudden, distressing, violent. 4. keen, astute, discerning, perceptive, intelligent, perspicacious; sharp-witted, clever, smart, bright, ingenious, brilliant; knowing, wise, sage, sagacious, sapient. Acute, penetrating, shrewd imply a keenness of understanding, perception, or insight. Acute suggests particularly a clearness of perception and a realization of related meanings: an acute intellect. Penetrating adds the idea of depth of perception and a realization of implications: a wise and penetrating judgment. Shrewd adds the idea of knowing how to apply practically (or to one's own advantage) what one perceives and understands: wary and shrewd. 5. keen.
Antonyms
1, 4, 5. dull.
1, 4, 5. dull.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To acute
Collins
World English Dictionary
acute (əˈkjuːt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | penetrating in perception or insight |
| 2. | sensitive to details; keen |
| 3. | of extreme importance; crucial |
| 4. | sharp or severe; intense: acute pain; an acute drought |
| 5. | having a sharp end or point |
| 6. | maths |
| a. (of an angle) less than 90° | |
| b. (of a triangle) having all its interior angles less than 90° | |
| 7. | of a disease |
| a. arising suddenly and manifesting intense severity | |
| b. Compare chronic of relatively short duration | |
| 8. | phonetics |
| a. (of a vowel or syllable in some languages with a pitch accent, such as ancient Greek) spoken or sung on a higher musical pitch relative to neighbouring syllables or vowels | |
| b. grave, Compare (for senses 8a, 8b): circumflex of or relating to an accent (´) placed over vowels, denoting that the vowel is pronounced with higher musical pitch (as in ancient Greek), with a certain special quality (as in French), etc | |
| 9. | (of a hospital, hospital bed, or ward) intended to accommodate short-term patients with acute illnesses |
| —n | |
| 10. | an acute accent |
| [C14: from Latin acūtus, past participle of acuere to sharpen, from acus needle] | |
| a'cutely | |
| —adv | |
| a'cuteness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
acute
1560s, from L. acutus "sharp, pointed," pp. of acuere "sharpen" (see acuity). Medical sense of "coming and going quickly" (of a fever or disease, as opposed to a chronic one) first recorded 1660s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
acute a·cute (ə-ky&oomacr;t')
adj.
Pointed at the end; sharp.
Of or relating to a disease or a condition with a rapid onset and a short, severe course.
Of or relating to a patient afflicted with such a disease.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
acute (ə-ky t') Pronunciation Key
|
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
But more important, he was an acute businessman and a truly brilliant editor.
It is true that antidepressants are only modestly effective in acute depression.
The problem was more acute among regional carriers, which typically fly smaller planes under contract for the large airlines.
The predicament is more acute when we turn to what great philosophers have to say about women.
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