acute
UK: əˈkjuːt | US: əˈkjuːt
adj. sharp or severe in effect (e.g., pain, illness)
adj. keenly perceptive or intellectually penetrating
adj. (geometry) of an angle: less than 90 degrees
acute = acu<sharp> + te<adjective suffix>
- acu: From Latin acutus (sharpened, pointed), derived from acuere (to sharpen), related to acus (needle). Retains the core meaning of "sharpness" in both literal (physical) and figurative (mental) contexts.
- te: A Latin-derived adjectival suffix indicating state or quality (e.g., complete, discrete).
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin acutus, which described physical sharpness (e.g., knives, needles) and later extended metaphorically to intense pain ("sharp pain") or mental acuity ("sharp mind"). The geometric sense emerged in the 16th century, contrasting "sharp" (acute) angles with "blunt" (obtuse) ones. The progression reflects a consistent logic: physical → abstract → technical specialization.
The patient suffered from acute abdominal pain and required immediate surgery.
Her acute observation skills made her an excellent detective.
An acute angle measures less than 90 degrees.
The critic’s acute analysis revealed flaws in the theory.
Birds have acute vision, enabling them to spot prey from great distances.