Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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

Etymology

Origin of acidic

First recorded in 1875–80; acid + -ic

Explanation

Something that's acidic has a sour or sharp taste. Lemonade, especially if it's light on the sugar, tastes very acidic. Citrus fruits have a typically acidic flavor, and they qualify as acidic in the scientific definition of the word as well. In chemistry, something that's acidic has a low pH, as opposed to a base, which has a higher pH. Various kinds of acids and vinegar are also acidic. The word comes from acid, which originally meant "of the taste of vinegar," from the Latin word acidus, "sour or sharp."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing acidic

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.

Given the chemical’s acidic and corrosive qualities, it would be difficult to load it onto a truck, he noted.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

The show's creator Lee Sung Jin gave the older pair "this acidic point of view towards the others while not seeing our own petty behaviour", the actor adds.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 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

When exposed to light, these photoacids briefly become more acidic.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

In science class he dropped a test tube full of a liquid that tested as strongly acidic.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "acidic" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com