having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; "acute appendicitis"; "the acute phase of the illness"; "acute patients"
of critical importance and consequence; "an acute (or critical) lack of research funds"
extremely sharp or intense; "acute pain"; "felt acute annoyance"; "intense itching and burning"
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"
not anticipated; "unanticipated and disconcerting lines of development"- H.W.Glidden; "unforeseen circumstances"; "a virtue unlooked-for in people so full of energy"; "like a bolt out of the blue"
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time; "a slow walker"; "the slow lane of traffic"; "her steps were slow"; "he was slow in reacting to the news"; "slow but steady growth"
at a slow tempo; "the band played a slow waltz"
(used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time; "the clock is slow"
become slow or slower; "Production slowed"
cause to proceed more slowly; "The illness slowed him down"
causing surprise or wonder or amazement; "the report shows a surprising lack of hard factual data"; "leaped up with surprising agility"; "she earned a surprising amount of money"
appearing or developing early; "precocious flowers appear before the leaves as in some species of magnolias"
characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude); "a precocious child"; "a precocious achievement"