acne

IPA/ˈækni/
KK[ˈækni]IPA/ˈækni/

acne — noun

1. a long-lasting skin problem, most often during the teenage years, in which oily

1.nounB2
Definition

a long-lasting skin problem, most often during the teenage years, in which oily glands become blocked so that red bumps or whiteheads grow — usually around the cheeks, forehead, upper back, and shoulders.

Example

Olu started getting acne on her forehead the year she turned thirteen.

get acne on [body part]

Dr. Paloma told Xiomara that her acne would slowly clear up by her twenties.

acne clears up over time

Common collocations
  • mild acne
  • severe acne
  • cystic acne
  • treat acne
  • acne scars
  • acne breakout
  • teenage acne
  • adult acne
Synonyms
  • pimples

    informal countable noun for the individual spots; acne is the medical condition that causes them

  • zits

    very informal slang for individual pimples, mostly used by teenagers

  • spots

    everyday British English term for pimples; less clinical than 'acne'

  • breakout

    a short period when many pimples appear at once; refers to an episode rather than the condition

Grammar Patterns

have acne

suffer from acne

Usage Note

Uncountable: say 'I have acne', not 'I have an acne' or 'acnes'. To talk about a single bump, use 'a pimple' or 'a spot'. Often modified by severity adjectives: mild, moderate, severe, cystic.

Common Mistakes

I have many acnes on my chin.
I have a lot of acne on my chin.
acne is uncountable; use 'pimples' or 'spots' for individual bumps.
She suffers an acne.
She suffers from acne.
the verb 'suffer' takes the preposition 'from' before a long-term condition.

Word family

  • acned
    adjectiveC1
  • pimple
    nounB1
  • pimply
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all describe blemishes on the skin, but they differ in scope and register. 'Acne' is the clinical name for the long-term condition itself, used by doctors and in writing. 'Pimple' refers to one individual red bump; you have many pimples because you have acne. 'Zit' is informal slang, mostly used by teenagers and in casual speech. 'Spot' is the everyday British equivalent of 'pimple' and is far less clinical than 'acne'. 'Breakout' names a short flare-up — a period when several pimples appear at once, often before a big event. Compare: 'A dermatologist treats acne' (the condition) versus 'I got a huge zit before prom' (one bump) versus 'Stress always gives me a breakout' (a sudden episode).

acne ↗pimple ↗zit ↗spot ↗breakout ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • acne treatment
  • acne scars
  • acne medication
  • acne breakout

Phrases

  • mild acne
  • severe acne
  • cystic acne
  • teenage acne
  • adult acne
  • clear up acne

Prepositions

  • acne on [body part]
  • suffer from acne

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Borrowed into English in the 1830s from modern Latin 'acne', which itself came from a misreading of the ancient Greek word 'akmē' meaning 'point' or 'peak' — the same root that gives us 'acme'. A scribal error in early Greek medical manuscripts changed 'akmē' to 'aknē', and the misspelling stuck when later doctors borrowed the word to name the skin condition with its small pointed bumps.