definitions

acrid

[ ak-rid ]
/ ˈæk rɪd /
|
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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

acre-inch, acreage, acred, acrel's ganglion, acremonium, acrid, acridid, acridine, acridine orange, acridine yellow, acriflavine

Origin of acrid

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

Related forms

Can be confused

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

Examples from the Web for acridity

British Dictionary definitions for acridity

acrid

/ (ˈækrɪd) /

adjective

unpleasantly pungent or sharp to the smell or taste
sharp or caustic, esp in speech or nature

Derived Forms

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

Medicine definitions for acridity

acrid

[ ăk′rĭd ]

adj.

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

Related forms

a•crid′i•ty (ə-krĭd′ĭ-tē) null n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.