a mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
"The teacher pointed out that the acute accent over the 'e' in the French word means it should be pronounced with an open sound."
A person who has the acute form of a disorder, such as schizophrenia.
"The doctor warned that if his condition remained untreated, he could enter an acute phase where hallucinations would become impossible to ignore."
In plain English: An acute angle is a small corner that is sharper than a right angle but not as wide as a straight line.
"The doctor diagnosed an acute infection that required immediate treatment."
Usage: In everyday medical contexts, "acute" is an adjective describing the sudden onset or severity of an illness, not a noun referring to a person. You should avoid using the word to mean "a patient with schizophrenia," as this usage is clinically incorrect and stigmatizing.
To give an acute sound to.
"The technician adjusted the guitar strings until they produced an acute, piercing note that cut through the silence."
In plain English: To make something sharp or severe, such as increasing pain or tension.
"The surgeon had to act quickly because the wound was becoming acute."
Usage: The verb form of "acute," meaning to give an acute or sharp sound, is archaic and rarely used in modern English; instead, writers should use "acutely" as an adverb or choose a clearer synonym like "sharpen" or "make piercing." Most contemporary usage restricts the word "acute" to its adjective forms describing severity or sharpness.
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
"acute appendicitis"
"the acute phase of the illness"
"acute patients"
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"
of an angle; less than 90 degrees
"The architect measured the roof's acute angles to ensure the shingles would fit perfectly without overlapping too much."
ending in a sharp point
"The artist carefully filed the chisel until its cutting edge was perfectly acute and ready to carve the stone."
Brief, quick, short.
"The doctor gave us an acute warning to stop eating sugar immediately."
In plain English: Acute means something is very sharp, severe, or intense right now.
"The doctor warned that her acute back pain would require immediate treatment."
Usage: Use acute only when describing something that has a very sharp or intense quality, such as pain or an angle, rather than for events that are brief or sudden. The word implies a high degree of severity or precision instead of simply meaning short-lived.
The English word acute comes from the Latin acutus, which originally meant "sharpened" or "pointed." It entered Middle English with a specific medical sense describing diseases that start suddenly and last only a short time.