Learn the word 'Acute': Advanced English Listening Practice (C1 Adjective)

Word Info

Word: Acute

Level: C1

Pronunciation: ə'kjut

Meaning: Very serious, severe, or intense

Video Script

Hello everyone, and welcome to "Hello Word!", the podcast where we dive into the fascinating world of the English language. I'm Alex, your host, and today we’re exploring the word acute, a C1-level adjective that means very serious, severe, or intense. Let’s start with what acute really means. When something is acute, it’s not just noticeable; it’s sharply focused or critical. For example, we might describe pain as acute when it’s sharp and intense, like a stabbing sensation. Similarly, a situation or problem can be acute if it’s urgent and requires immediate attention. Now, let’s explore some synonyms for acute. Words like severe, intense, and critical can be used interchangeably in many contexts. For example, “The patient was rushed to the hospital due to acute chest pain” could also be phrased as “The patient was rushed to the hospital due to severe chest pain.” Another example could be, “Her acute sense of smell made her an excellent perfumer,” which might also work as, “Her intense sense of smell made her an excellent perfumer.” On the flip side, let’s talk about some antonyms. Words like mild, moderate, and dull contrast with acute. For instance, if someone experiences mild discomfort rather than acute pain, it’s less severe. Or, instead of saying, “The country is facing an acute housing crisis,” you might say, “The country is facing a moderate housing shortage,” to indicate less urgency. How can we use acute in everyday life? Imagine you’re discussing an emergency. You might say, “The town is dealing with an acute water shortage after the storm.” Or perhaps you’re describing a skill: “Her acute hearing helped her identify the faintest of sounds.” You could even use it to describe emotions, like, “He felt an acute sense of loss after his friend moved away.” Let’s try a few more examples to get comfortable with acute. “The scientist’s acute observations led to a groundbreaking discovery.” “After the economic downturn, the government faced an acute need to create new jobs.” “The child had an acute fear of the dark, so she slept with a nightlight.” To wrap things up, we’ve learned that acute describes something very serious, severe, or intense. We’ve also looked at synonyms like severe, intense, and critical, and antonyms such as mild, moderate, and dull. Thank you so much for tuning in to "Hello Word!" If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps others discover the show. I’d love to hear your own sentence using acute. Share it in the comments, and let’s keep the conversation going. Until next time, keep learning and exploring the beauty of English. Goodbye!

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