Acute means sudden. Acute symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly. It is the opposite of chronic.
References
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Acute. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acute. Accessed January 17, 2023.
Review Date 10/20/2022
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.