acrid
- sharp or biting to the taste or smell; bitterly pungent; irritating to the eyes, nose, etc.: acrid smoke from burning rubber.
- extremely or sharply stinging or bitter; exceedingly caustic: acrid remarks.
Origin of acrid
Related Words
pungentacrimoniousvitriolicacidastringentbitingburningcausticharshirritatingsharpausterebittercuttingmordantsarcastictrenchantExamples from the Web for acrid
Contemporary Examples
Unlike California, it was physical, ugly and acrid back then.
With 2014 as a congressional election year, the acrid scrums of 2013 will give way to the combat of the campaign.
Amidst much screeching of breaks and the acrid smell of burning rubber, Cameron executed a high speed u-turn.
They were hitting on all cylinders as they mined the acrid ore of Mamet's singular cynicism.
Historical Examples
His mouth was full of something that burned, a liquid hot, acrid, and stinging.
The Black BagLouis Joseph Vance
The great box-plants, the great box-plants with their acrid, perturbing perfume!
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
The acrid odor of the atmosphere was already beginning to be disagreeable.
Priestess of the FlameSewell Peaslee Wright
A few should be avoided because of their acrid taste or their strong odor.
The Mushroom, Edible and OtherwiseM. E. Hard
Its taste is acrid, and it grows in lawns and pastures from June to September.
The Mushroom, Edible and OtherwiseM. E. Hard
acrid
- unpleasantly pungent or sharp to the smell or taste
- sharp or caustic, esp in speech or nature
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for acrid
adj.
1712, formed irregularly from Latin acer (fem. acris) "sharp, pungent, bitter, eager, fierce," from PIE *akri- "sharp," from root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce" (cf. Oscan akrid (ablative singular) "sharply;" Greek akis "sharp point," akros "at the farthest point, highest, outermost," akantha "thorn," akme "summit, edge;" also oxys "sharp, bitter;" Sanskrit acri- "corner, edge," acani- "point of an arrow," asrih "edge;" Lithuanian ašmuo "sharpness," akstis "sharp stick;" Old Lithuanian aštras, Lithuanian aštrus "sharp;" Old Church Slavonic ostru, Russian óstryj "sharp;" Old Irish er "high;" Welsh ochr "edge, corner, border;" Old Norse eggja "goad;" Old English ecg "sword"). The -id suffix probably is in imitation of acid. Acrious (1670s) is a correct formation, but seldom seen.
acrid
(ăk′rĭd)- Unpleasantly sharp, pungent, or bitter to the taste or smell.