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1. Of critical importance and consequence
   "an acute (or critical) lack of research funds"
    
2. Extremely sharp or strongly felt
   "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance";
   - intense
    
3. Having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
   "an acute observer of politics and politicians";
   - discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp
    
4. Ending in a piercing point; pointed
   - acuate, sharp, needlelike
    
5. (medicine) having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
   "acute appendicitis"; "the acute phase of the illness"; "acute patients"
    
6. Of an angle; less than 90 degrees

1. A mark placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
   - acute accent, ague

Derived forms: acutes, acutest, acuter

See also: critical, perceptive, pointed, sharp, subacute

Type of: accent, accent mark

Antonym: chronic, obtuse

Encyclopedia: Acute