It first entered the English language with a medical sense, referring to the sharpness or severity of a symptom. It retains this meaning today, but can also refer to the severity of more general matters, …

ACUTE definition: 1. If a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage: 2. An acute pain or illness…. Learn more.

ACUTE definition: sharp or severe in effect; intense. See examples of acute used in a sentence.

1. sharp or severe in effect; intense: acute pain. 2. extremely great or serious: an acute shortage of oil. 3. (of disease) brief and severe (disting. from chronic). 4. penetrating in intellect, insight, or …

Definition of acute adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 5, 2025 · In order to be an acute triangle, all three angles of a triangle must be less than 90°. These triangles can have very prickly personalities.

Discover everything about the word "ACUTE" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.

Acute, penetrating, shrewd imply a keenness of understanding, perception, or insight. Acute suggests particularly a clearness of perception and a realization of related meanings: an acute intellect.

There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word acute. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

6 days ago · Learn about chronic vs. acute conditions and how an illness may change classifications over time.