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acute

/əˈkjut/noun, adjective2 syllables

Acute means: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions.

Synonyms for acute26

noun, as in a mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

acute accent, ague

adjective, as in having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp, perceptive

adjective, as in ending in a sharp point

acuate, sharp, needlelike, pointed

adjective, as in extremely sharp or severe

adjective, as in having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

subacute

adjective, as in of critical importance and consequence

also used for acute

fast, rapid, powerful, strong, peracute, emergent, pressing, sudden, acute-angled

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of acute

chronic, obtuse

What does acute mean?7

adjective

1

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions“an acute observer of politics and politicians”

2

ending in a sharp point

3

extremely sharp or severe“acute pain”

4

having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course“acute appendicitis”

5

of critical importance and consequence“an acute (or critical) lack of research funds”

6

of an angle; less than 90 degrees

noun

1

a mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with acute?28

Show 40 near rhymes

All 28 rhymes for acute, grouped by syllable

Acute in a sentence

  • It has keen eyesight, good ears, and an acute sense of smell.Chus
  • This city will suffer from an acute water shortage unless it rains soon.spockofvulcan
  • A dog has an acute sense of smell.CK
  • An acute lack of funds is holding up the plan.unknown
  • He felt an acute pain in his chest.CK
  • A blind person's hearing is often very acute.CM
  • I am touched by the girl's acute sensitivity.unknown
  • He's suffering from acute pain in his life.ulyssemc1

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of acute

as a noun

plural
acutes

as a adjective

comparative
acuter
superlative
acutest