acute
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
acuter;
acutest
acuter;
acutest
Britannica Dictionary definition of ACUTE
[or more acute; most acute]
1
:
very serious or dangerous
:
requiring serious attention or action
-
an acute [=critical, severe] fuel shortage
-
an acute crisis
-
the acute phase [=the most important and dangerous phase] of the struggle for independence
2
usually used before a noun
:
having or showing an ability to think clearly and to understand what is not obvious or simple about something
-
an acute observation/understanding
-
an acute observer
-
an acute sense of humor
-
It's a politically acute film that does not oversimplify the issues.
3
:
very strong and sensitive
:
highly developed
-
acute [=keen] hearing/vision
-
acute awareness
4
:
strongly felt or experienced
-
acute distress/embarrassment
5
medical
a
:
very sharp and severe
-
acute pain/infection
-
acute symptoms
b
:
becoming very severe very quickly
—
compare chronic
◊ A hospital or doctor who specializes in acute care works with patients who have diseases or problems that require immediate care.
-
an acute care hospital
6
7
of an accent mark
:
having the form ´
—
compare 2grave 3
-
The word “café” is written with an acute accent over the “e.”
— acutely
adverb-
I am acutely aware of these problems.
-
The patient was acutely ill.
— acuteness
noun [noncount]-
the acuteness of the fuel shortage
