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Synonyms

acidic

American  
[uh-sid-ik] / əˈsɪd ɪk /

adjective

  1. acid.

  2. Geology. acid.

  3. acid-forming.

  4. containing acid-bearing pollutants.

    Acidic runoff is poisoning the nation's rivers.
acidic British  
/ əˈsɪdɪk /

adjective

  1. another word for acid

  2. (of an oxide) yielding an acid in aqueous solution

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonacidic adjective
  • semiacidic adjective
  • unacidic adjective

Etymology

Origin of acidic

First recorded in 1875–80; acid + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The star of this recipe is firm green tomatoes — crisp, tart and deliciously acidic in flavor.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Their findings suggest that inside lysosomes, this channel acts like an overflow valve, preventing the environment from becoming too acidic.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

“It’s not acidic or negative. I genuinely love doing this,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

The other is “Fleabag”: Like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s acidic reprobate, Ms. Weisz’s character is unconstrained by a fourth wall, sharing with us, reflecting, observing, making wisecracks but not being particularly funny.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

He reeked of the acidic barf that dripped down his pants.

From "George" by Alex Gino

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.