acute
/əˈkjuːt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈkjuːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈkyüt/ (ame, mw)
acute — adjective
1. causing very serious difficulty and needing fast action because the harm is alre
causing very serious difficulty and needing fast action because the harm is already great or getting worse.
The town faced an acute water shortage after three weeks without rain.
acute shortage of + noun
Doctors warned of an acute lack of beds after the factory fire.
acute lack of + noun
Rising food prices created acute pressure on poor families this winter.
The school is in acute need of more science teachers.
After the storm, several villages were in acute danger from landslides.
- minor
describes something small and not very serious
- manageable
suggests the problem can be handled without major difficulty
文法句型
acute + problem/situation/shortage
be in acute need of + noun
acute lack/shortage of + noun
用法筆記
Usually modifies nouns such as shortage, need, danger, crisis, and pressure. Distinguish this sense from adjective/2: this one describes a serious situation, not a health problem or physical pain.
常見錯誤
2. appearing suddenly and becoming very painful or dangerous within a short time, e
appearing suddenly and becoming very painful or dangerous within a short time, especially of illness or physical pain.
Nina went to the hospital with acute chest pain after lunch.
acute + pain noun
The doctor treated an acute ear infection before it spread deeper.
acute + illness noun
Leo had acute stomach pain during the night and could not stand.
Acute asthma can become dangerous fast without the right medicine.
After the fall, Marta felt acute pain in her left shoulder.
文法句型
acute + pain/illness/infection
acute pain in + body part
acute + medical condition
用法筆記
Mostly used in medical contexts and often placed before pain or illness nouns. Frequently contrasted with chronic, which describes conditions that last a long time instead of starting suddenly.
常見錯誤
3. quick and exact at noticing fine detail or understanding what is happening; used
quick and exact at noticing fine detail or understanding what is happening; used about the mind, senses, or observation.
With her acute hearing, Mei noticed the weak alarm first.
acute + sense noun
The detective's acute eye spotted a missing button on the floor.
acute eye
Sam's acute ear caught the wrong note in the choir.
Years of trading gave Omar an acute sense of market change.
Lena's acute mind saw the problem in the plan at once.
- keen
very close in meaning and common with senses or intelligence
- sharp
more everyday; often used for minds and eyes
- perceptive
focuses on understanding hidden details or other people's feelings
- observant
stresses careful noticing more than quick intelligence
- dull
not quick at noticing or understanding
- unobservant
fails to notice details
文法句型
acute + mind/eye/ear/sense
acute awareness of + noun
acute comment/observation
用法筆記
Common with nouns like mind, eye, ear, sense, and awareness. Unlike adjective/1 and adjective/2, this sense is positive and describes skill in noticing or understanding small differences.
常見錯誤
4. describing an angle that opens less than ninety degrees.
describing an angle that opens less than ninety degrees.
Each triangle in the pattern has two acute angles.
acute angles
Draw an acute angle at the top of the roof shape.
acute angle
The child marked the forty-degree corner as acute.
An acute angle is smaller than a right angle.
On the chart, the blue line meets the wall at an acute angle.
文法句型
acute angle
angle is acute
用法筆記
Used almost only in geometry. It usually appears with angle or after be when naming the size of an angle, and it contrasts with right and obtuse.
常見錯誤
acute — noun
1. the slanting mark ´ placed over a letter to guide pronunciation or stress in som
the slanting mark ´ placed over a letter to guide pronunciation or stress in some languages.
In Spanish class, Ana forgot the acute on the final e.
acute on + letter
The dictionary prints an acute over the vowel in that word.
acute over + vowel
Write cafe with an acute above the e.
French learners often ask when to use an acute and when not to.
The keyboard shortcut adds an acute to the letter quickly.
- acute accent
the full standard name
- accent mark
broader term that can include other marks too
- diacritic
technical cover term for marks added to letters
文法句型
an acute
acute over/above + letter
用法筆記
Mostly used in language study, and many learners say acute accent in full outside technical shorthand. The mark is written above a letter, not beside it like an apostrophe.