Synonyms for Acute
əˈkyutacute

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. acuteadjective

   Synonyms:
   obtuse

2. acuteadjective

   Antonyms:
   chronic

3. acuteadjective

   To give an acute sound to.

   He acutes his rising inflection too much.

   Synonyms:
   urgent, pressing, sudden, emergent

4. acuteadjective

   sensitive

   Synonyms:
   powerful, strong, intense, sharp, keen

   Antonyms:
   obtuse, witless, slow, dull

5. acuteadjective

   Short, quick.

   It was an acute event.

   Synonyms:
   fast, rapid

   Antonyms:
   slow, leisurely

6. acuteadjective

   Of a triangle, having all three interior angles measuring less than 90 degrees.

   Synonyms:
   acute-angled

   Antonyms:
   obtuse-angled, obtuse

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. acute

   Acute, from the Latin, suggests the sharpness of the needle's point; keen, from the Saxon, the sharpness of the cutting edge. Astute, from the Latin, with the original sense of cunning has come to have a meaning that combines the sense of acute or keen with that of sagacious. The astute mind adds to acuteness and keenness an element of cunning or finesse. The astute debater leads his opponents into a snare by getting them to make admissions, or urge arguments, of which he sees a result that they do not perceive. The acute, keen intellect may take no special advantage of these qualities; the astute mind has always a point to make for itself, and seldom fails to make it. A knowing look, air, etc., in general indicates practical knowledge with a touch of shrewdness, and perhaps of cunning; in regard to some special matter, it indicates the possession of reserved knowledge which the person could impart if he chose. Knowing has often a slightly invidious sense. We speak of a knowing rascal, meaning cunning or shrewd within a narrow range, but of a knowing horse or dog, in the sense of sagacious, implying that he knows more than could be expected of such an animal. A knowing child has more knowledge than would be looked for at his years, perhaps more than is quite desirable, while to speak of a child as intelligent is altogether complimentary.

   Synonyms:
   astute, clear-sighted, crafty, cunning, discerning, discriminating, keen, knowing, penetrating, penetrative, perspicacious, sagacious, sharp, shrewd, subtile, subtle

   Antonyms:
   blind, dull, idiotic, imbecile, shallow, short-sighted, stolid, stupid, undiscerning, unintelligent

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. acute

   Synonyms:
   pointed, penetrating, sagacious, perspicacious, keen, astute, piercing, sharp, shrewd, keen-sighted, severe, distressing

   Antonyms:
   dull, blunt, obtuse, stupid, undiscerning, heavy, chronic, stolid

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. acute accent, acute, agueadjective

   a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

   Synonyms:
   chills and fever, ague, acute, acute accent

   Antonyms:
   dull, noncrucial, pointless, degenerative, unperceptive, obtuse, chronic, noncritical, unperceiving, unpointed

2. acuteadjective

   having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

   "acute appendicitis"; "the acute phase of the illness"; "acute patients"

   Synonyms:
   keen, penetrating, piercing, knifelike, incisive, penetrative, intense, sharp, needlelike, acuate, discriminating

   Antonyms:
   unperceiving, noncritical, noncrucial, obtuse, dull, unpointed, unperceptive, degenerative, chronic, pointless

3. acute, intenseadjective

   extremely sharp or intense

   "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance"; "intense itching and burning"

   Synonyms:
   keen, penetrating, vivid, piercing, knifelike, incisive, penetrative, intense, sharp, needlelike, acute, acuate, discriminating

   Antonyms:
   unperceptive, noncritical, obtuse, unpointed, pointless, chronic, unperceiving, degenerative, noncrucial, dull

4. acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharpadjective

   having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

   "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"

   Synonyms:
   intense, penetrative, discriminating, shrill, neat, sharp, shrewd, lancinating, nifty, sharp-worded, not bad(p), bang-up, astute, incisive, acuate, dandy, tart, smashing, cutting, bully, precipitous, needlelike, slap-up, abrupt, keen, lancinate, knifelike, corking, exquisite, groovy, great, acute, piercing, penetrating, swell, cracking, crisp, stabbing, peachy

   Antonyms:
   noncritical, noncrucial, pointless, unperceptive, degenerative, unperceiving, obtuse, chronic, unpointed, dull

5. acuteadjective

   of an angle; less than 90 degrees

   Synonyms:
   keen, penetrating, piercing, knifelike, incisive, penetrative, intense, sharp, needlelike, acuate, discriminating

   Antonyms:
   noncrucial, chronic, unperceptive, unperceiving, unpointed, dull, obtuse, pointless, degenerative, noncritical

6. acuate, acute, sharp, needlelikeadjective

   ending in a sharp point

   Synonyms:
   abrupt, shrill, astute, sharp, incisive, shrewd, knifelike, crisp, keen, needlelike, precipitous, discriminating, tart, sharp-worded, acute, acuate, penetrating, piercing, intense, penetrative

   Antonyms:
   degenerative, unperceptive, obtuse, chronic, pointless, dull, unpointed, noncritical, noncrucial, unperceiving

7. acuteadjective

   of critical importance and consequence

   "an acute (or critical) lack of research funds"

   Synonyms:
   keen, penetrating, piercing, knifelike, incisive, penetrative, intense, sharp, needlelike, acuate, discriminating

   Antonyms:
   obtuse, degenerative, noncrucial, dull, noncritical, pointless, unpointed, chronic, unperceptive, unperceiving

Matched Categories

1. • Medicine

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. acuteadjective

   Synonyms:
   sharp, pointed, ACUMINATED, CUSPIDATED

2. acuteadjective

   Synonyms:
   keen, shrewd, discerning, knowing, quick, sharp, smart, bright, sage, sapient, sagacious, intelligent, astute, ingenious, subtle, penetrating, piercing, clear-sighted, sharp-witted, long-headed, UP TO SNUFF

3. acuteadjective

   Synonyms:
   severe, violent, intense, poignant, exquisite, pungent

4. acuteadjective

   Synonyms:
   high, shrill, high-toned

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "acute":

   agudo, sharp, serious, severe, treble, acutely, aguda, pressing, grave, urgent, tweeter, short-lived, assets, keen, extreme

Concise Medical Dictionary, by Joseph C Segen, MDRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ACUTE

   Synonyms:
   (1) Analysis of Coronary Ultrasound Thrombolysis Endpoints in Acute Myocardial Infarction,, (2) Assessment of Cardioversion Utilizing Transesophageal Echocardiography

Suggested Resources

1. Acute

   Chronic vs. Acute -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Chronic and Acute.

How to pronounce Acute?

How to say Acute in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use Acute in a sentence?

1. Northern Kentucky:

   Encouraging the spread of an acute infectious disease in a community demonstrates a callous disregard for the health and safety of friends, family, neighbors, and unsuspecting members of the general public, a person who has contracted chickenpox can be infectious for up to 2 days before experiencing the rash that is associated with the virus.

2. Paul Auerbach:

   They will likely be dehydrated and suffer from acute malnutrition, which will combine to make them weak, so they will need to have a great deal of assistance for safety, they have lost muscle mass and may have body chemistry abnormalities. So the medical evaluation and treatment will undoubtedly include rehydration, either intravenously or orally. It's possible that some of them may have suffered infectious diarrhea.

3. Steve Lydon:

   Recognizing that the murder of George Floyd was likely to create particularly acute racialized trauma, I felt I had an immediate duty to protect and support employees who may have been traumatized and may have heightened ongoing trauma by having to deal with Derek Chauvins, out of care and concern, and without the comfort of time, I made the decision to limit exposure to employees of color to a murder suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings.

4. Peter Hotez:

   So many of these neglected tropical diseases are not acute infections like ... the flu or common cold, many are chronic, debilitating conditions that mimic non-communicable diseases ... If somebody has epilepsy, they don't think of cysticercosis ... If a child tests poorly in school, the pediatrician or nurse practitioner won't think of toxocariasis.

5. Director Christine Lagarde:

   Greece is in a situation of acute crisis, which needs to be addressed seriously and promptly.