From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishacutea‧cute /əˈkjuːt/ ●○○ adjective 1 problemSERIOUS SITUATION an acute problem is very serious The housing shortage is more acute than first thought.► see thesaurus at serious2 feeling an acute feeling is very strong acute pain acute embarrassment acute anxiety3 illness technical an acute illness or disease quickly becomes very serious OPP chronic acute arthritis4 sensesHBHHBA acute senses such as hearing, taste, touch etc are very good and sensitive Young children have a particularly acute sense of smell.5 intelligent quick to notice and understand things SYN sharp Simon’s vague manner concealed an acute mind. an acute analysis of Middle Eastern politics 6 mathematics technical an acute angle is less than 90° → obtuse7 punctuation an acute accent (=a mark used to show pronunciation) is a small mark written above a vowel. In ‘café’, the letter ‘e’ has an acute accent. → grave, circumflex —acuteness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
acute• In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.• There are no studies on the effect of acute alcohol intake on gastric secretion in the chronic alcoholic patient.• Simmons' book is an acute analysis of Middle Eastern history.• She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.• I suffered a dislocation as acute as when I arrived in this country.• The more serious effects include acute confusional states, tachycardia, urinary retention, and aggravation of glaucoma.• Patients suffering from acute depression may well need medication.• It was seen as particularly acute in June for S4 pupils.• The impact of the problem has been especially acute in New England.• Boston employers are facing an acute labour shortage with potentially serious consequences for economic growth.• Patients with acute lower back pain often do well with bed rest and painkillers.• De Tocqueville was an acute observer of American ways.• Solving the problem will require acute perception and subtle communication.• There are acute shortages of food and medical equipment.• Nowhere is the problem more acute than Los Angeles County, where gang-related homicide is on the increase.• acute tuberculosis• The problem is less acute with phrases and sentences because there the speaker or writer is more fully on his own.acute pain• One of the most promising areas to find answers is in the treatment of acute pain.• They may suffer sickness, vomiting or acute pain, but they do not die.• She was aware of a feeling of acute pain; she was in panic; she was terrified that she might scream.• Chronic pain is continuous and unassociated with the physiological responses to acute pain such as sweating and tachycardia.• This was a drug that would ease the acute pain that crucifixion brought to the victim.acute sense of• Furthermore, he had an acute sense of deviation from the norm in any society.• There's an acute sense of having been betrayed or wronged.• As he did so, he felt a great sadness, an acute sense of loss, filling his entire being.• His acute sense of observation was remarkable, and his pictures show how sensitive he was to his surroundings.• He has an acute sense of priority.• The theory would have to be tested, of course, but the body has an acute sense of self-preservation, you know.• This changeless spell brought an acute sense of temporariness and the feeling of inevitability fading with the dusk.• I had an acute sense of the absence of Alison, of the probably permanent loss of her.Origin acute (1300-1400) Latin past participle of acuere “to sharpen”, from acus “needle” 