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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 The amendments come out of an abundance of caution, in an effort to prevent acute kidney injury requiring intensive blood-cleaning hemodialysis treatment. New Atlas, 23 July 2025 Though there is an uptick in COVID-19 cases in more than two dozen states, the CDC says the overall amount of people seeking care for acute respiratory illnesses is at a very low level. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 22 July 2025 People experiencing traumatic bereavement often endure a longer and more intense acute grief period. Liza Barros-Lane, The Conversation, 17 July 2025 Since then, more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to Reuters, and millions are suffering from acute malnutrition, starvation and illness. Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for acute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acute
Adjective
  • Businesses cannot process sensitive data without obtaining consumer consent.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • The website Health in Her Hue, for example, connects Black women and women of color to culturally sensitive healthcare providers.
    Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Sutton added that with higher participation in an opt-in system, emergency managers could use that channel for less urgent alerts and conserve IPAWS alerts for the most high-risk situations.
    Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • For many who’ve been on the ground preventing violence in their communities, the debate at the Capitol feels urgent.
    Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • An intense pain that isn't going away There the lone doctor examined him and gave him an EKG to look at how his heart was functioning.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • SFGate notes that many dogs fear the oven due to its unusual sounds, intense heat, and especially alarms or beeping.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
Adjective
  • Though some residents are not keen on seeing alligators in the wild, the animals are just as terrified of humans as humans are of them.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Clubs in the Saudi Pro League expressed their interest in signing Son, but the forward is keen on joining LAFC, where former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris currently stars and where ex-Spurs great Gareth Bale won an MLS Cup.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Critics question whether a battery swap network—capital intensive, dependent on fleet adoption, and distributed across so many different markets—can scale profitably.
    Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
  • An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.
    Angela Lei, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
Adjective
  • Even just a quick five-minute vacuuming of high-traffic areas offers an instant refresh.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2025
  • All of their three quickest games (2:03, 2:07 and 2:08) have been started by Pivetta.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In the barrios of the American Southwest, chola girls perfected their look with dark lip liner, oversized flannels, and nameplate earrings, styling themselves with fierce precision that both declared loyalty and warded off erasure.
    Alexandra Jane, Essence, 31 July 2025
  • In the last few years, fierce controversies have often been sparked by commercials, with commentators seemingly viewing ad campaigns as the battleground for a never-ending culture war.
    Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Adjective
  • Weaver has also dealt with injuries this season and has not been quite as sharp.
    Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Love has been razor sharp, has taken on a greater leadership role and is moving extremely well in the pocket again.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acute. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on acute

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