Teravustunud

Teravustunud is an Estonian word that functions as an adjective or past participle meaning that something has become sharper or more intense. It is derived from terav (sharp) with the participial suffixes -ust- and the past participle suffix -unud, yielding the sense “having become sharp” or “having intensified.” The form is typically used predicatively or attributively.

In literal use, teravustunud describes physical sharpness or optical focus: a teravustunud nuga (a sharpened knife); a teravustunud pilt (an image that has been sharpened or is more in focus, especially after editing). In figurative use, it denotes escalation or increased intensity of situations, tones, or debates: Läbirääkimised on teravustunud; pinged on teravustunud.

As a participial adjective, teravustunud may appear in various syntactic positions: olukord on teravustunud, teravustunud olukord (the situation has intensified). Related forms include teravustama (to sharpen or intensify) and teravustuma (to become sharper/intensify).

In contemporary Estonian, teravustunud is common in journalism, political commentary, and everyday speech to convey escalation or heightened sharpness of a matter. It is a neutral term without inherent value judgment, though its connotation depends on context.