acidulous

[uh-sij-uh-luhs]

adjective

1. slightly sour.

2. sharp; caustic.

   his acidulous criticism of the book.

3. moderately acid or tart; subacid.

acidulous

/ əˈsɪdjʊləs /

adjective

1. rather sour

2. sharp or sour in speech, manner, etc; acid

Other Word Forms

• subacidulous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acidulous¹

From the Latin word acidulus, dating back to 1760–70. See acid, -ulous

Word History and Origins

Origin of acidulous¹

C18: from Latin acidulus sourish, diminutive of acidus sour

Example Sentences

Sharp observations like these show us glimpses of the acidulous social satirist of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

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In “Appropriate,” a young boy innocently runs downstairs wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood that he found stored away in the attic, turning an acidulous domestic comedy into something queasier.

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His landmark 1962 essay “White Elephant Art vs. Termite Art” set grandiose self-importance against the power of acidulously burrowing deep into personal passions.

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Colin makes acidulous remarks about her morals; she snaps back at him to get a job.

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Because the first and most significant thing that will strike your ears from the first second of The Well-Tuned Piano is the acidulous yet soft-focused beauty of the tuning system Young uses in the piece.

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