ACUTE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does acute mean? 

• ACUTE (noun)
  The noun ACUTE has 1 sense:

1. a mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

  Familiarity information: ACUTE used as a noun is very rare.

• ACUTE (adjective)
  The adjective ACUTE has 6 senses:

1. having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

2. extremely sharp or severe

3. having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

4. of an angle; less than 90 degrees

5. ending in a sharp point

6. of critical importance and consequence

  Familiarity information: ACUTE used as an adjective is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACUTE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

acute; acute accent; ague

Hypernyms ("acute" is a kind of...):

accent; accent mark (a diacritical mark used to indicate stress or placed above a vowel to indicate a special pronunciation)

• ACUTE (adjective)

Comparative: acuter   
Superlative: acutest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course

Context example:

acute patients

Similar:

subacute (less than acute; relating to a disease present in a person with no symptoms of it)

Domain category:

medical specialty; medicine (the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques)

Antonym:

chronic (being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Extremely sharp or severe

Synonyms:

acute; intense

Context example:

intense itching and burning

Similar:

sharp (keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

Synonyms:

acute; discriminating; incisive; keen; knifelike; penetrating; penetrative; piercing; sharp

Context example:

frequent penetrative observations

Similar:

perceptive (having the ability to perceive or understand; keen in discernment)

Derivation:

acuteness (a quick and penetrating intelligence)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Of an angle; less than 90 degrees

Antonym:

obtuse (of an angle; between 90 and 180 degrees)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Ending in a sharp point

Synonyms:

acuate; acute; needlelike; sharp

Similar:

pointed (having a point)

Derivation:

acuteness (the quality of having a sharp edge or point)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Of critical importance and consequence

Context example:

an acute (or critical) lack of research funds

Similar:

critical (being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency)

 Context examples 

Clinical specialists practice in settings where primary, acute, or long-term nursing care is delivered.

(Medical-Surgical Nurse Specialist, NCI Thesaurus)

Medical-surgical nursing is practiced in primary, acute, or long-term nursing care facilities.

(Medical-Surgical Nursing, NCI Thesaurus)

A translocation, t(1;19)(q23;p13.3) involving this gene and the DAZAP1 gene, creates reciprocal DAZAP1/MEF2D and MEF2D/DAZAP1 fusion genes that both are expressed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

(MEF2B wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Infiltration of the meninges by an acute or chronic leukemia.

(Meningeal leukemia, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute infection of the bladder.

(Acute Cystitis, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms related to acute ischemia of the myocardium secondary to coronary artery disease.

(Acute Coronary Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Infection in the abdominal cavity resulting from injury, acute intestinal inflammation (e.g., acute appendicitis), intestinal perforation, or complication of abdominal surgery.

(Abdominal Infection, NCI Thesaurus)

They don't work against viruses - the most common cause of acute bronchitis.

(Acute Bronchitis, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Acute inflammation of the conjunctiva characterized by pink or red color in the eyes.

(Acute Contagious Conjunctivitis, NCI Thesaurus)

Causes include subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute febrile diseases.

(Meningismus, NCI Thesaurus)