acute
gb/əkjˈut/ us/əkjˈut/
B2
English
~ 5700
súlyos, erős, égető, akut, heveny, éles, kifinomult, éles szemű, hegyes, hegyesszög, magas, magas frekvenciájú, magas hangú, éles ékezetes, éles ékezet
B2
1
Usage pattern:
acute [problem/pain/need/shortage]
The city is facing an acute housing shortage.
A város súlyos lakáshiánnyal küzd.
She felt acute embarrassment when she forgot her lines on stage.
Rettenetesen zavarba jött, amikor a színpadon elfelejtette a szövegét.
Patients often experience acute pain in the first hours after surgery.
The problem is particularly acute in low-income neighborhoods.
There is an acute need for clean drinking water after the flood.
Learner examples
He has acute pain in his back.
Erős fájdalmat érez a hátában.
There is an acute need for more doctors here.
Égető szükség van itt több orvosra.
The country has an acute food shortage this year.
Her fear was very acute during the storm.
This is an acute problem for young people in this area.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'acute' with 'cute' because they look similar. 'Cute' means 'pretty' or 'attractive in a small way'; 'acute' here means 'very serious' or 'very strong'. Also, learners may overuse 'acute' in everyday speech; in conversation, 'very bad' or 'really serious' is often more natural.
Meaning
very severe or intense (problem/pain)
Collocations
acute pain
|acute problem
|acute shortage
|acute crisis
|acute anxiety
|acute embarrassment
Synonyms
severe (The most common alternative in this sense; often used for strong pain or serious problems in both everyday and medical contexts.)
|
intense (Focuses on how strongly something is felt, especially emotions or physical sensations.)
Antonyms
mild (Describes pain or problems that are not strong or serious, the opposite of 'acute' in this sense.)
Themes
health
|problems
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very strong or very serious, especially when talking about pain or a difficult problem.
Very severe, intense, or extreme in degree, especially describing pain, difficulty, or an unpleasant situation.
C1
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
acute [illness/infection/condition]
The patient was admitted with acute appendicitis and required immediate surgery.
A beteget heveny vakbélgyulladással vették fel, és az állapota azonnali műtétet igényelt.
Acute infections are treated differently from chronic diseases.
Az akut fertőzéseket másképp kezelik, mint a krónikus betegségeket.
The hospital specializes in acute care for heart attack patients.
During the acute phase of the illness, she needed constant monitoring.
Smoking increases the risk of both acute and chronic respiratory conditions.
Learner examples
He went to the hospital with acute stomach pain.
Akut gyomorfájdalommal ment kórházba.
The doctor said it was an acute infection, not a long illness.
Az orvos azt mondta, hogy akut fertőzésről van szó, nem hosszan tartó betegségről.
She needed acute care after the accident.
This medicine is for acute headache, not for daily use.
They studied acute and chronic lung problems in the clinic.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'acute' in medical contexts only means 'very bad'. It also contrasts with 'chronic': an acute illness is short-term and sudden, while a chronic illness is long-term, even if it is not very strong at every moment.
Meaning
sudden and severe but short (medical)
Collocations
acute illness
|acute infection
|acute condition
|acute appendicitis
|acute phase
|acute care
Synonyms
sudden (Emphasizes the quick start of the illness, but does not itself imply medical classification like 'acute' does.)
Antonyms
chronic (The standard medical opposite; describes illnesses that last for a long time or keep coming back.)
Themes
health
|science
Definition
Used about an illness or medical problem that comes on suddenly and is very serious, but does not last a long time.
Describing a medical condition that begins suddenly and is severe but usually lasts for a short period, as opposed to long-term or chronic conditions.
C1
3
Usage pattern:
an acute [mind/observer/awareness/sense of smell]
She has an acute mind and quickly spotted the weakness in the argument.
Éles eszű, és gyorsan észrevette az érvelés gyenge pontját.
Dogs have an acute sense of smell, far stronger than humans.
A kutyáknak rendkívül kifinomult a szaglásuk, sokkal jobb az emberénél.
His acute awareness of social cues makes him an excellent negotiator.
The novel offers an acute analysis of modern family life.
Even in old age, his hearing remained remarkably acute.
Learner examples
He is an acute observer of human behavior.
Éles szemű megfigyelője az emberi viselkedésnek.
Her acute mind helps her solve problems fast.
Éles esze segít neki gyorsan megoldani a problémákat.
Owls have an acute sense of hearing.
The teacher had an acute understanding of her students' needs.
Police need an acute eye for small details.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'acute' here means 'smart' in a general way. It more specifically means 'very sensitive' or 'very good at noticing or understanding small details'. In everyday speech, 'sharp' or 'very smart' is often more natural.
Meaning
mentally or perceptually sharp
Collocations
acute mind
|acute awareness
|acute sense of smell
|acute observer
|acute insight
Synonyms
keen (Very close in meaning; common in phrases like 'keen mind' or 'keen sense of smell'.)
|
sharp (Focuses on intelligence or quick understanding; slightly more informal in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
dull (Can describe a mind or senses that are slow or not sensitive; the opposite of mentally or perceptually sharp.)
Themes
intellect
|senses
|core_vocabulary
|education
Definition
Very good at seeing, feeling, or understanding small details that other people may miss.
Able to notice, understand, or react to very small details or slight changes; having very sharp mental or sensory perception.
B2
TECHNICAL
4
hegyes
B1
hegyesszög
B1
Usage pattern:
an acute [angle/triangle]
In this triangle, all three angles are acute.
Ebben a háromszögben mindhárom szög hegyesszög.
An angle of 30 degrees is an acute angle.
A 30 fokos szög hegyesszög.
The teacher drew an acute angle on the board and asked us to measure it.
Any angle less than 90 degrees is classified as acute.
The diagram shows both acute and obtuse angles.
Learner examples
This is an acute angle because it is less than 90 degrees.
Ez hegyesszög, mert kisebb 90 foknál.
A 45-degree angle is acute.
A 45 fokos szög hegyesszög.
In this picture, only the top angle is acute.
The math book explains what an acute angle is.
We had to find all the acute angles in the shape.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'acute' and 'obtuse' angles. Remember: acute angles are the 'small' ones (less than 90°); obtuse angles are 'big' (more than 90° but less than 180°).
Meaning
angle smaller than 90 degrees
Collocations
acute angle
|acute triangle
|acute-angled triangle
|acute and obtuse angles
Synonyms
sharp (angle) (An informal description sometimes used by teachers, but not the standard mathematical term.)
Antonyms
obtuse (In geometry, an 'obtuse angle' is greater than 90° and less than 180°, the opposite of an acute angle.)
Themes
math
|science
|education
Definition
In math, used for an angle that is smaller than a right angle (smaller than 90 degrees).
In geometry, describing an angle that is greater than 0° and less than 90°.
C2
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
an acute [tone/sound/voice]
The instrument produces an acute tone that cuts through the orchestra.
A hangszer magas, átható hangot ad ki, amely átüt a zenekar hangzásán.
Phonetic descriptions sometimes refer to acute sounds as being higher than grave sounds.
A fonetikai leírásokban az akutnak nevezett hangokat olykor a mély hangoknál magasabb hangzásúként írják le.
Her laughter had an acute quality that was easily heard across the room.
Learner examples
The bird made an acute sound in the tree.
A madár magas hangot adott ki a fán.
His voice became more acute when he was excited.
Izgatottságában magasabb lett a hangja.
This bell has a very acute tone.
Common mistake:
In everyday English, 'high-pitched' or 'sharp' is more common than 'acute' for sounds. Learners may sound overly formal or unusual if they use 'acute' in normal conversation for this meaning.
Meaning
high-pitched or shrill (sound)
Collocations
acute tone
|acute sound
|acute pitch
|acute voice
Synonyms
high-pitched (Common everyday term for sounds with high frequency; more usual than 'acute' in non-technical contexts.)
|
shrill (Suggests a high, often unpleasant sound; includes emotional or negative connotations that 'acute' does not always have.)
Antonyms
low-pitched (Describes sounds with low frequency, the opposite of high or acute pitch.)
Themes
sound
|music
|arts_entertainment
|education
Definition
Used for a sound that is high and sharp, not low or deep.
Used in phonetics and music to describe sounds or tones that are relatively high in pitch.
C2
TECHNICAL
6
éles ékezet
B2
Usage pattern:
an acute [accent/mark] on [letter]
In the word 'café', the 'e' carries an acute accent.
A „café” szóban az „e” betűn éles ékezet van.
French learners must pay attention to the difference between acute and grave accents.
A franciául tanulóknak figyelniük kell az éles és a tompa ékezet közötti különbségre.
The editor asked the typesetter to add the missing acute mark over the final vowel.
Learner examples
The letter 'é' has an acute accent.
Az „é” betűn éles ékezet van.
In some words, you must write an acute mark on the vowel.
Egyes szavakban éles ékezetet kell írni a magánhangzóra.
This dictionary shows which vowels take an acute accent.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the acute accent (´) with the grave accent (`). The acute accent slopes up from left to right and is often used to mark stress or a different vowel sound.
Meaning
marked with an acute accent
Collocations
acute accent
|acute mark
|acute sign
|accent acute
Synonyms
accented (with an acute) (Describes a letter that carries the mark, but does not specify the type of accent unless you add 'acute'.)
Antonyms
grave (Refers to the grave accent (`), which slopes the opposite way; often contrasted with 'acute' in discussions of accent marks.)
Themes
language
|writing
|communication
|education
Definition
Having the small mark ´ over a letter, used in some languages to show stress or a different sound.
Marked with the acute accent diacritic (´), especially in discussions of spelling, pronunciation, or typography.
Grammar
Dictionary form
acute
IPA
GB/əkjˈut/
US/əkjˈut/
Syllables & stress
acute (1 syllable)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: acute
- Comparative: acuter
- Superlative: acutest
Word family
Expressions
acute accent
1/əkjˈut ˈæksˌɛnt/
fixed phrase
technical
the ´ accent mark
The small mark ´ that is written over a letter in some languages to show stress or a special sound.
Examples
- In Spanish, an acute accent can change the meaning of a word.
- The word should be written with an acute accent on the final vowel.
acute angle
1/əkjˈut ˈæŋɡəl/
fixed phrase
technical
angle smaller than a right angle
An angle that is smaller than a right angle; its size is more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees.
Examples
- Draw an acute angle and label it with its measurement.
- The triangle has one acute angle and two obtuse angles.
acute illness
1/əkjˈut ˈɪlnəs/
fixed phrase
technical
sudden, severe, short-term illness
An illness that starts suddenly and is very serious, but usually does not last a long time.
Examples
- She was hospitalized with an acute illness after returning from her trip.
- The clinic focuses on treating acute illnesses such as severe infections.
acute pain
1/əkjˈut pˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
very strong, often sudden pain
Very strong physical pain that is often sudden and short-term.
Examples
- He felt acute pain in his chest and called an ambulance immediately.
- After the operation, she experienced acute pain in her shoulder.
acute shortage
1/əkjˈut ʃˈɔɹtɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
very serious lack of something
A very serious lack of something important, such as food, water, or housing.
Examples
- There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in the city.
- The war has caused an acute shortage of basic medicines.