Meaning
acute
- sharp
- high-pitched, high, shrill (voice, etc.)
In a sentence
Ho sentito un dolore acuto alla schiena.
I felt a sharp pain in my back.
Perché fai quel suono così acuto?
Why are you making that sound so high-pitched?
Lei ha una voce acuta ma piacevole.
She has a high voice, but it's pleasant.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| acuto | masculine · singular |
| acuta | feminine · singular |
| acuti | masculine · plural |
| acute | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use acuto for pain, intelligence, or hearing; for a knife or edge, tagliente often sounds more natural.
- For sounds, acuto means high in pitch; don’t confuse it with forte, which means loud.
- With illnesses, Italian often prefers fase acuta or dolore acuto; it sounds more natural than using acuto everywhere.