acute

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Latin acūtus (“sharp”), perfect passive participle of acuō (“sharpen, make sharp”). Cognate to ague (“acute, intermittent fever”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈkjuːt/ SAMPA: /@"kju:t/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːt

Adjective

acute (comparative acuter or more acute, superlative acutest or most acute)

1. Urgent.

   His need for medical attention was acute.

2. sensitive

   She had an acute sense of honor.

   Eagles have very acute vision.

3. Short, quick.

   It was an acute event.

4. (geometry) Of an angle, less than 90 degrees.
5. (geometry) Of a triangle, having all three interior angles measuring less than 90 degrees.
6. (botany, of leaves) With the sides meeting directly to form a pointed acute angle at the apex, base, or both.
7. (medicine) Of an abnormal condition of recent or sudden onset, in contrast to delayed onset; this sense does not imply severity (unlike the common usage).

   He dropped dead of an acute illness.

8. (medicine) Of a short-lived condition, in contrast to a chronic condition; this sense also does not imply severity.

   The acute symptoms resolved promptly.

9. (orthography, after a letter) Having an acute accent.

   The last letter of “café” is ‘e’ acute.

Synonyms

• (urgent): pressing, urgent, emergent, sudden
• (sensitive): intense, powerful, strong, sharp, keen
• (quick): fast, rapid
• (triangle): acute-angled
• (leaf shape): obtuse

Antonyms

• (sensitive): dull, witless, obtuse, slow
• (angle): obtuse
• (quick): slow, leisurely
• (triangle): obtuse, obtuse-angled
• (medicine: condition): chronic

Derived terms

• acutance
• acuity
• acute-angled
• acute accent
• acuteness

Related terms

• ague

Translations

urgent

Bulgarian: остър (bg) Dutch: dringend (nl), acuut (nl) Finnish: akuutti (fi), kiireinen (fi) Hebrew: דחוף (he) (dahuf)

Japanese: せつじつ (ja) (satsujitsu) Russian: срочный (ru) (sróčnyj), неотложный (ru) (n'eotlóžnyj) Spanish: grave (es)

sensitive

Armenian: սուր (hy) (sur) Bulgarian: интензивен (bg) Dutch: scherp (nl), gevoelig (nl) Estonian: äge (et) Finnish: tarkka (fi), terävä (fi) French: aigu (fr) m., aiguë (fr) f. German: scharf (de)

Japanese: せつじつ (ja) (satsujitsu) Mandarin: 激烈 (cmn) (jīliè) Polish: ostry (pl) Spanish: agudo (es), perspicaz (es), sagaz (es) Swedish: skarp (sv) Turkish: keskin (tr)

quick, short

Dutch: kort (nl)

geometry: of an angle

Armenian: սուր (hy) (sur) Bulgarian: остър (bg) Dutch: scherp (nl) Finnish: terävä (fi) French: aigu (fr)

Romanian: ascuțit (ro) Russian: острый (ru) (óstryj) Spanish: agudo (es) Swedish: spetsig (sv)

geometry: acute-angled — see acute-angled

botany: having an acute angle

medicine: of an abnormal condition

Arabic: شديد (ar) (shadiid) Armenian: սուր (hy) (sur) Bulgarian: остър (bg), акутен (bg) Czech: akutní (cs) Dutch: acuut (nl)

Estonian: äge (et) Finnish: akuutti (fi) French: aigu (fr) Japanese: 急性の (kyūsei no) Russian: острый (ru) (óstryj)

medicine: of a short-lived condition

Arabic: شديد (ar) (shadiid) Armenian: սուր (hy) (sur) Bulgarian: остър (bg), акутен (bg) Czech: akutní (cs) Dutch: acuut (nl)

Estonian: äge (et) Finnish: akuutti (fi) French: aigu (fr) Japanese: 急性の (kyūsei no) Russian: острый (ru) (óstryj)

orthography: letter with acute accent

Dutch: met (nl) accent aigu (nl) Estonian: lihtrõhk (et)

French: aigu (fr)

Noun

acute (plural acutes)

1. (orthography) An acute accent.

   The word “cafe” often has an acute over the ‘e’.

Translations

acute accent — see acute accent

Verb

acute (third-person singular simple present acutes, present participle acuting, simple past and past participle acuted)

1. (phonetics) To give an acute sound to.

   He acutes his rising inflection too much.

Translations

give an acute sound

Anagrams

• Ceuta

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑˈky.tə/

Adjective

acute

1. inflected form of acuut.

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /aˈkuːte/

Adjective

acute f.

1. feminine plural form of acuto.

Anagrams

• caute

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Latin

Participle

acūte

1. vocative masculine singular of acūtus