acute
C1Formal in medical/scientific contexts; neutral to formal in general use.
Definition
Meaning
Sharp or severe in effect; intensely felt.
Refers to something with a rapid onset and short duration (opposite of chronic), or describing a highly perceptive mind. In geometry, an angle less than 90 degrees.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a critical point of intensity, severity, or perception. Can describe both physical sensations (pain) and abstract concepts (shortage, embarrassment).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage largely identical. 'Acute' is slightly more prevalent in UK medical writing.
Connotations
In both varieties, carries connotations of seriousness and precision.
Frequency
Comparatively low-frequency adjective outside technical domains.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
acute + [noun]be + acute + in + [gerund/noun] (e.g., acute in noticing details)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “acute accent (linguistics)”
- “acute on chronic (medical)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The firm faced an acute liquidity crisis.'
Academic
'The study focused on the acute phase of the inflammatory response.'
Everyday
'She felt an acute pang of guilt when she realised her mistake.'
Technical
'The patient was admitted with acute abdominal pain.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb. Use 'acutely'.
- She was acutely aware of the tension in the room.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb. Use 'acutely'.
- The market is acutely sensitive to interest rate changes.
adjective
British English
- The hospital's A&E department specialises in acute care.
- He has an acute understanding of geopolitical risk.
American English
- The ER is for acute medical emergencies.
- She felt acute embarrassment when her phone rang during the lecture.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The pain in my tooth was very acute.
- A right angle is 90 degrees; an acute angle is smaller.
- There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in the city.
- Dogs have an acute sense of smell.
- The region is experiencing an acute humanitarian crisis following the earthquake.
- Her acute observations about character made her an excellent novelist.
- The policy failed to address the acute disparities in healthcare access.
- His analysis was characterised by acute critical reasoning.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cute (acute) kitten with very SHARP claws causing a SEVERE scratch.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTENSITY IS SHARPNESS (e.g., acute pain, acute mind).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'аккутный' (neat, tidy). 'Acute' relates to severity/sharpness, not orderliness.
- In medical contexts, ensure correct opposition: acute (внезапный и короткий) vs. chronic (длительный, хронический).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'acute' to mean 'very important' without the sense of severity/critical intensity (e.g., 'an acute meeting' is wrong).
- Confusing 'acute' and 'chronic' in medical/non-medical contexts.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST synonym for 'acute' in the sentence: 'The patient presented with acute abdominal pain'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Acute' describes conditions with rapid onset and short duration. 'Chronic' describes conditions that are long-lasting or persistent.
Yes, it can describe keen perception or sharpness of mind (e.g., an acute intellect, an acute observer).
It is neutral to formal. It is standard in medical, scientific, and academic writing, and acceptable in general formal writing. It is less common in casual conversation.
In linguistics, it is a diacritical mark (´) used to indicate stress, vowel quality, or other features in various languages (e.g., é in 'café').
Collections
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Health and Wellness
B1 · 49 words · Physical and mental health vocabulary.