ACUTE Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'acute' contrast with its synonyms?

The words keen and sharp are common synonyms of acute . While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination. // an acute sense of style

Q: In what contexts can 'keen' take the place of 'acute'?

The synonyms keen and acute are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind. // a keen observer of the political scene

Q: When could 'sharp' be used to replace 'acute'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acute , sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness. // sharp enough to spot a confidence game

acute

adjective

ə-ˈkyüt

Definition of acute

as in sensitive

able to sense slight impressions or differences dogs, with their acute sense of smell, are used for finding toxic substances undetectable by humans

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in urgent

needing immediate attention famine caused by an acute shortage of grain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intense

extreme in degree, power, or effect experiencing acute distress over the misunderstanding with her best friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective acute contrast with its synonyms?

The words keen and sharp are common synonyms of acute. While all three words mean "having or showing alert competence and clear understanding," acute implies a power to penetrate and may suggest subtlety and sharpness of discrimination.

an acute sense of style

In what contexts can keen take the place of acute?

The synonyms keen and acute are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm, and a penetrating mind.

a keen observer of the political scene

When could sharp be used to replace acute?

While in some cases nearly identical to acute, sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, or sometimes questionable trickiness.

sharp enough to spot a confidence game

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of acute Reform advocates have said the problem is especially acute in proceedings that involve allegations of domestic violence and other types of family court disputes. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 That problem is particularly acute in the PJM region, which includes the Chicago area, because PJM, the country’s largest regional grid operator, failed to plan for data centers and other big energy users. — Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 Frustrations over access to compute can be especially acute when Google announces large infrastructure commitments to competing labs like Anthropic, whose models compete directly with Gemini, sources with knowledge of the matter said. — Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 Its venom can trigger internal bleeding, neurological problems, acute kidney injury, and strokes. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acute

Adjective

To avoid this sensitive date, pre-orders are now predicted to start on Saturday, September 12th.

— David Phelan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 A sensitive conversation can support your reputation when handled well.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Practicing isolating these muscles and squeezing them when not in urgent need of a bathroom can help in the longer term when dealing with the need to go to the bathroom without a toilet readily available.

— Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
The grand jury believed that LINXS took advantage of the urgent need to get the project done for high profile sporting events as a way to leverage change order demands.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of urgent

Adjective

The retail offering was oversubscribed 5,500 times, underscoring intense investor demand for the profitable company, which shipped 5,500 humanoids in 2025.

— John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
That points to the conclusion that the pain for Main Street is likely to remain intense for the foreseeable future, even as Wall Street continues to prosper.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of intense

Adjective

Luccardi was similarly keen to avoid reducing Miriam to a diagnosis.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Festival director Jovan Marjanović was keen to talk up Paweł Pawlikowski’s opening film, Fatherland, and to pay tribute to a jury comprising the likes of president Emily Watson, Woody Harrelson and Diego Luna.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of keen

Adjective

His preference for a 4-2-3-1 has been evident, however, and the German is looking for Newcastle to be aggressive in the press, intensive and also direct, with a plan to get the ball forward as quickly as possible.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
If the electricity required to operate the system comes from carbon-intensive sources, some of the benefits of capturing atmospheric CO₂ are lost.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of intensive

Adjective

Staff in the South Stand offices would spend the winter months wearing jackets due to a broken boiler and, according to Bruce, only the players quickest to the dressing-room showers could expect to enjoy hot water after games.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
This is excellent energy for captions, pitches, texts, brainstorming, flirting, or turning a quick idea into something shareable.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of quick

Adjective

To be fair, like the other QBs, Allen is adjusting to a new scheme; none of the three delivered particularly sharp days.

— Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, Lowry, 61, has kept his mental health sharp through his unwavering faith and consistent workouts.

— Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharp

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acumen

acute

acutely

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Style

“Acute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acute. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of acute

adjective

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