ACUTE Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'acute' contrast with its synonyms?

The words keen and sharp are common synonyms of acute . While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination. // an acute sense of style

Q: In what contexts can 'keen' take the place of 'acute'?

The synonyms keen and acute are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind. // a keen observer of the political scene

Q: When could 'sharp' be used to replace 'acute'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acute , sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness. // sharp enough to spot a confidence game

acute

adjective

ə-ˈkyüt

Definition of acute next

as in sensitive

able to sense slight impressions or differences dogs, with their acute sense of smell, are used for finding toxic substances undetectable by humans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in urgent

needing immediate attention famine caused by an acute shortage of grain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect experiencing acute distress over the misunderstanding with her best friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective acute contrast with its synonyms?

The words keen and sharp are common synonyms of acute. While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

an acute sense of style

In what contexts can keen take the place of acute?

The synonyms keen and acute are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

a keen observer of the political scene

When could sharp be used to replace acute?

While in some cases nearly identical to acute, sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

sharp enough to spot a confidence game

Examples of acute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The need among small-time meme coin creators to peacock for attention became even more acute when celebrities piled in. —

Joel Khalili, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2024 The whole thing has been an acute embarrassment for the world’s largest aerospace company That support might be baffling to most people. —

Georgina Torbet, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2024 But Adams’ character doesn’t much enjoy their company, which only makes her isolation that much more acute. —

Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Sep. 2024 This is why the news of Matthew Perry’s passing in 2023, attributed to the acute effects of ketamine, hit me particularly hard. —

Erik Hedegaard, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acute

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.