acrid

[ ak-rid ]

/ ˈæk rɪd /

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See synonyms for: acrid / acridity / acridness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of acrid

1705–15; <Latin ācr- (stem of ācer) sharp, sour + -id⁴, perhaps through influence of acid

OTHER WORDS FROM acrid

a·crid·i·ty

[uh-krid-i-tee], /əˈkrɪd ɪ ti/, ac·rid·ness, nounac·rid·ly, adverbsub·ac·rid, adjectivesub·ac·rid·ly, adverb

sub·ac·rid·ness, nounsub·a·crid·i·ty, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH acrid

acerbic, acid, acrid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acrid in a sentence

Soaked in never-ending streams of bright orange bear spray, the officers choked on plumes of acrid smoke that singed their nostrils and obscured their vision.
“I Don’t Trust the People Above Me”: Riot Squad Cops Open Up About Disastrous Response to Capitol Insurrection|by Joaquin Sapien and Joshua Kaplan|February 12, 2021|ProPublica
It is acrid, colourless, and crystalline, and imparts its acridity to the plant.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Mr. Strachey, without abandoning the acridity of his style, exposes Florence Nightingale as a great constructor of civilization.
Instigations|Ezra Pound
Thomas Nash will himself hardly escape the charge of acridity, but only injustice or want of discernment will call him a quack.
A History of English Literature|George Saintsbury

Henry declined the combat, and after she sensed his intention, she went on, with increasing acridity.
Rope|Holworthy Hall
This species is quite common; and though very acrid to the taste, this acridity is entirely lost in cooking.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise|M. E. Hard

British Dictionary definitions for acrid

acrid

/ (ˈækrɪd) /

adjective

unpleasantly pungent or sharp to the smell or taste

sharp or caustic, esp in speech or nature

Derived forms of acrid

acridity (əˈkrɪdɪtɪ) or acridness, nounacridly, adverb

Word Origin for acrid

C18: from Latin ācer sharp, sour; probably formed on the model of acid

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

acrid

Origin of acrid

OTHER WORDS FROM acrid

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH acrid

Words related to acrid

How to use acrid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for acrid

Derived forms of acrid

Word Origin for acrid