Mnemonic devices work best when you have to struggle a little to come up with them. When
you create a mnemonic that really means something to you, it will likely become a permanent
part of your memory.
SAT Power Vocab’s Suggested Mnemonics
Now let’s dive into some fun mnemonics. Remember, if these mnemonic devices don’t work for
you, you can always make your own.
acute (uh KYOOT) adj sharp; shrewd; discerning
Mnemonic:In geometry, ACUTE angles (less than 90 degrees) are SHARP and pointy.- If your eyesight is acute, you can see things that other people can’t (e.g., sharp
eyesight). You have visual acuity (uh KYOO uh tee). - An acute mind is a quick, intelligent one (e.g., sharp intellect). You have mental acuity.
- An acute pain is a sharp pain.
- Acute is a word doctors throw around quite a bit. An acute disease is one that reaches
its greatest intensity very quickly and then goes away. What could a disease be if it isn’t
acute? See chronic.
Acute means sharp only in a figurative sense. A knife, which is sharp enough
to cut, is never said to be acute.anecdote (AN ik doht) n a short account of a humorous or revealing incident; a story