Acute: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Acute adjective. Of an illness or pain, coming on suddenly and severely.
How to say it
uh-KYOOT/əˈkjuːt/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (KYOOT).
Meanings
- Of an illness or pain, coming on suddenly and severely.
- Keen and sharp, as of the senses or the mind.
Acute in a sentence
Dogs have an acute sense of smell, far beyond anything we can manage.
The pain was acute but brief, and gone by teatime.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- severe
- sharp
- keen
- intense
Opposite:
- chronic
- mild
- dull
Where acute comes from
From Latin acutus, sharpened, from acuere, to sharpen.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The pain was _____ but brief, and gone by teatime.
- acute
- eidetic
- hypnagogic
Show the answer
acute: The pain was acute but brief, and gone by teatime.