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GRE vocabulary

astute

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore A words

shrewd and perceptive in judgment

Word origin: From Latin astutus, crafty, from astus craft or cunning.

In a sentence

Astute in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing astute in a sentence.

An astute observer, she noticed the flaw everyone else had missed.

An astute reader will notice that the narrator's account quietly contradicts itself.

Usage & nuance

Using “astute” well

Astute describes shrewd, perceptive judgment, with a positive connotation of mental sharpness. It emphasizes quickness to perceive what others miss.

Common questions

Questions about “astute

Astute (adjective) means shrewd and perceptive in judgment
Here is astute used in an example sentence: "An astute observer, she noticed the flaw everyone else had missed." Another example: "An astute reader will notice that the narrator's account quietly contradicts itself."
Common synonyms for astute include shrewd, perceptive, sagacious.
Antonyms of astute include obtuse, naive, dull.
Astute pairs with shrewd, perceptive, and sagacious in GRE Verbal. Its antonyms obtuse, naive, and dull mark the lack of perception a passage may set against it.
Yes. Astute is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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