# acute

/əkˈjut/ (US) · /ɐkjˈuːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/acute
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. intense or severe

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe a problem or feeling that is very strong or serious.

For teachers: denoting a physical or emotional state characterized by extreme intensity or severity.

- The patient felt an acute pain in her chest and called for help.
- The region is currently facing an acute shortage of clean water following the failure of the primary desalination plant.

### 2. keen or clever

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describing a mind or sense that is very quick to notice small details.

For teachers: characterized by sharpness of intellect or perception; showing an ability to understand complex situations quickly.

- Dogs have an acute sense of smell that helps them find hidden items.
- Her acute observations regarding the company's fiscal vulnerabilities allowed the board to intervene before the market crashed.

### 3. medical onset

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing an illness that starts suddenly and lasts for a short time.

For teachers: referring to a condition with a rapid onset and a short course, as opposed to a chronic condition.

- He was admitted to the hospital with acute appendicitis.
- Distinguishing between acute and chronic symptoms is essential for determining the appropriate course of emergency treatment.

### 4. geometry

adjective · CEFR B2

describing an angle that is less than 90 degrees.

For teachers: denoting an angle of less than 90 degrees or a triangle with all internal angles measuring less than 90 degrees.

- The roof was built at an acute angle to help the snow slide off.
- The architect utilized acute angles in the building's facade to create a sense of dynamic movement and modernism.

### 5. the accent mark

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the small mark (´) placed over a letter to show how it is pronounced.

For teachers: a diacritical mark used in various languages to indicate vowel quality, length, or pitch.

- The word 'café' is written with an acute on the final letter.
- In French orthography, the acute appears exclusively over the letter 'e' to indicate a specific close-mid vowel sound.

## Examples

- The patient is experiencing acute pain in her lower back.
- The housing shortage has become acute in recent months, forcing many families to move further away from the city center.
- While some symptoms of the illness are mild and chronic, the acute phase requires immediate clinical intervention to prevent permanent tissue damage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.