Acuteness

a·cute  (-kyt)

adj.

1. Having a sharp point or tip.

2. Keenly perceptive or discerning: "a raw, chilling and psychologically acute novel of human passions reduced to their deadliest essence" Literary Guild Magazine. See Synonyms at sharp.

3. Reacting readily to stimuli or impressions; sensitive: His hearing was unusually acute.

4. Of great importance or consequence; crucial: an acute lack of research funds.

5. Extremely sharp or severe; intense: acute pain; acute relief.

6. Medicine

a. Having a rapid onset and following a short but severe course: acute disease.

b. Afflicted by a disease exhibiting a rapid onset followed by a short, severe course: acute patients.

7. Music High in pitch; shrill.

8. Geometry Having an acute angle: an acute triangle.

---

[Latin actus, past participle of acuere, to sharpen, from acus, needle; see ak- in Indo-European roots.]

---

a·cutely adv.

a·cuteness n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	acuteness - a sensitivity that is keen and highly developed; "dogs have a remarkable acuteness of smell" sensitivity, sensitiveness, sensibility - (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation; "sensitivity to pain"
	2.	acuteness - a quick and penetrating intelligence; "he argued with great acuteness"; "I admired the keenness of his mind" keenness, sharpness, acuity intelligence - the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience steel trap - an acute intelligence (an analogy based on the well-known sharpness of steel traps); "he's as sharp as a steel trap"; "a mind like a steel trap"
	3.	acuteness - the quality of having a sharp edge or point keenness, sharpness - thinness of edge or fineness of point obtuseness - the quality of lacking a sharp edge or point