Acute
adjective /əˈkjuːt/ — Severe, sudden in onset, and brief in duration.
Definition
In medicine, describing a condition that begins suddenly, is severe, and lasts a short time — the opposite of chronic. An acute episode may resolve quickly, with or without treatment.
Beyond the definition
Acute suffering has a particular intensity — the knife-sharp clarity of crisis, the body fully mobilized, all attention narrowed to the emergency. There is something almost clarifying about it.
Origin & history
From Latin 'acutus' (sharp, pointed); from 'acuere' (to sharpen). Related to 'acumen' and 'acuity'. A sharp, pointed quality — brief and intense.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Acute pain is the body's alarm system — intense and purposeful, the signal that something needs immediate attention.
An acute infection can become chronic if not fully resolved — the line between the two is not always sharp.
She recognized the symptoms of acute anxiety — heart rate, tunnel vision, the body preparing to run from something it couldn't see.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Acute” when the meaning fits your context: In medicine, describing a condition that begins suddenly, is severe, and lasts a short time — the opposite of chronic. An acute episode may resolve quickly, with or without treatment.
Synonyms
severe, sudden, intense, sharp
Antonyms
chronic, mild, gradual
Related words
Acute vs chronic
Acute refers to a condition that is sudden, severe, and short-term. Chronic describes conditions that persist over a long period.
Compare this word
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Sudden Striking Moment
A single, brilliant beam of sunlight strikes a beautiful flower just as the clouds break.
This sudden, intense event represents the sharp, abrupt onset of an acute condition. The focused beam illustrates how a short-lived but impactful incident can quickly resolve or change the state of the scene.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Acute" mean?
Acute is adjective meaning: Severe, sudden in onset, and brief in duration.. In medicine, describing a condition that begins suddenly, is severe, and lasts a short time — the opposite of chronic. An acute episode may resolve quickly, with or without treatment.
Where does the word "Acute" come from?
From Latin 'acutus' (sharp, pointed); from 'acuere' (to sharpen). Related to 'acumen' and 'acuity'. A sharp, pointed quality — brief and intense.