Acute

/əˈkjuːt/ · adjective

Meaning

Brief, quick, short..

Definitions by Sense

1. Brief, quick, short.
2. High or shrill.
3. Intense; sensitive; sharp.
4. Urgent.
5. (botany) With the sides meeting directly to form an acute angle (at an apex or base).
6. (geometry, of an angle) Less than 90 degrees.
7. (geometry, of a triangle) Having all three interior angles measuring less than 90 degrees.
8. (linguistics, chiefly historical) Of an accent or tone: generally higher than others.

Example Sentences

It was an acute event.

Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

an acute accent or tone

The nimble Fly's Wings quicker were / Than those of her Competitor [a bee], / As may by this appear; / For an acuter Tone they made, / And in a ſharper Key they play'd, / (Which made the matter clear.)

The acuteness of sound in stringed instruments depends on three circumstances—length, thickness, and tension. The shorter, smaller, and tighter a string, the more acute the sound. […] In the violin, when you desire an acute sound, you tighten the string. When you wish a loud sound, you draw the bow over the strings heavily.

She had an acute sense of honour

Eagles have very acute vision.

Miss Darcy was tall, and on a larger scale than Elizabeth; and, though little more than sixteen, her figure was formed, and her appearance womanly and graceful. She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense and good humour in her face, and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. Elizabeth, who had expected to find in her as acute and unembarrassed an observer as ever Mr. Darcy had been, was much relieved by discerning such different feelings.

Synonyms for acute

Antonyms for acute

Related Words

Word Forms

• acuter
• more acute
• acutest
• most acute
• acutes
• acuting
• acuted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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