acrid

[ak-rid]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR acrid 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.

Origin of acrid

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

Related formsa·crid·i·ty

[uh-krid-i-tee] /əˈkrɪd ɪ ti/, ac·rid·ness, nounac·rid·ly, adverbsub·ac·rid, adjectivesub·ac·rid·ly, adverbsub·ac·rid·ness, nounsub·a·crid·i·ty, noun

Can be confusedacerbic acid acrid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for acridity

acidity, incisiveness, acrimony, mordacity, sharpness, trenchancy, acerbity, causticity, mordancy

Examples from the Web for acridity

Historical Examples of acridity

Then, turning to Magnus, excused himself for the acridity of his words.
The Octopus
Frank Norris
Besides, the German wines in themselves have other qualities than that of acridity.
The Parisians, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Tom had a nagging air, and a trifle of acridity on his broad features.
Evan Harrington, Complete
George Meredith
It seemed attracted by the acridity of the beautiful insect, as the moth is by the flame.
The Insect
Jules Michelet
Mr Thresh succeeded in obtaining an alkaloid from the capsicum, but this was entirely wanting in acridity and pungency.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for acridity

acrid

adjective

unpleasantly pungent or sharp to the smell or taste

sharp or caustic, esp in speech or nature

Derived Formsacridity (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

Word Origin and History for acridity

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.

acridity in Medicine

acrid

[ăk′rĭd]

adj.

Unpleasantly sharp, pungent, or bitter to the taste or smell.

Related formsa•crid′i•ty (ə-krĭd′ĭ-tē) null n.