adjective
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another word for acid
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(of an oxide) yielding an acid in aqueous solution
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of acidic
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."
Vocabulary lists containing acidic
Structure and Properties of Matter - Middle School
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Structure and Properties of Matter - Introductory
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Structure and Properties of Matter - High School
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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.
Conversely, Tina Fey and the writing staff of “The Four Seasons” have been using Domingo’s Danny as, among other things, a brutally effective vehicle to deploy acidic one-liners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Pond Farm lays on lowland heathland, a rare habitat found on acidic and nutrient-poor soils.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Airplane cabins’ lower humidity levels can diminish passengers’ ability to taste and smell, leaving light wines tasting like water, or highly acidic wines tasting sour and overly tangy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
These included repeated brushing, chewing forces, and contact with acidic foods that can gradually dissolve enamel.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
But I threw up something so harshly acidic it left me with canker sores on the inside of my mouth.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
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.
