Acrid — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈa-krəd/ ac·rid

Meaning & Definition of Acrid

Acrid (adjective)

  1. sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor, irritating
  2. deeply or violently bitter, acrimonious

Acrid (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing deep-seated resentment

    "there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land"

    similar: acrimonious, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful, sore
    related: disaffected, discontented, disgruntled, malcontent, contemptuous, cynical, disdainful, misanthropic, scornful, angry, cruel, harsh, irritated, mad, rough, savage, vehement, vicious, virulent, vitriolic, acid, caustic, cutting, mordant, sarcastic, trenchant, knock-down, drag-out
    opposite: unbitter
    near: caring, forgiving, gentle, kind, kindhearted, loving, sweet, sympathetic, tender, warm, warmhearted

  2. marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings

    "Phillipa's acrid comments about the new employee's clothes were met by laughter from everyone at the lunch table"

    similar: acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric, scalding, scathing, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart
    related: brisk, cross, sharp-tongued, sour, sourish, spiky, tartish, incisive, keen, poignant, trenchant, cynical, dry, ironic, wry, facetious, flippant, tongue-in-cheek, acrimonious, bitter, resentful, vitriolic, harsh, rough, severe, stringent, abrupt, blunt, brusque, concise, crisp, curt, gruff, pithy, snippety, snippy, succinct, terse, backhanded, insincere
    near: amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish, gentle, mild, bland, good-humored, good-natured, diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane, affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Acrid

The most common words with a similar meaning to Acrid:

acrimonious, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful, sore, acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric, scalding, scathing, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Acrid

Words with the opposite meaning of Acrid:

unbitter

Related Words for Acrid

disaffected, discontented, disgruntled, malcontent, contemptuous, cynical, disdainful, misanthropic, scornful, angry, cruel, harsh, irritated, mad, rough, savage, vehement, vicious, virulent, vitriolic, trenchant, knock-down, drag-out, brisk, cross, sharp-tongued, sour, sourish, spiky, tartish, incisive

Near Antonyms of Acrid

caring, forgiving, gentle, kind, kindhearted, loving, sweet, sympathetic, tender, warm, warmhearted, amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish, mild, bland, good-humored, good-natured, diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane, affable, cordial, genial, gracious

Word Forms of Acrid

Derived words: acridity (noun), acridly (adverb), acridness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Acrid

Latin ācr-, ācer "sharp, pungent, biting" + the English formative -id (as in acid:2); replacing acrious, from Latin ācer + -ious acr-

First known use: 1633

Frequently Asked Questions about Acrid

What does "Acrid" mean?

"Acrid" means sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor, irritating. As an adjective, it is defined as: sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor, irritating. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Acrid"?

Other words for "Acrid" include acrimonious, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful, sore and acerb. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Acrid" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Acrid"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Acrid". Common alternatives include acrimonious, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful, sore, acerb, acerbic and acid.

What is the opposite of "Acrid"?

Antonyms of "Acrid" include unbitter. Near antonyms include caring, forgiving, gentle and kind.

How do you use "Acrid" in a sentence?

Examples of "Acrid" in a sentence: "there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land"; "Phillipa's acrid comments about the new employee's clothes were met by laughter from everyone at the lunch table".

Is "Acrid" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Acrid" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Acrid"?

"Acrid" is pronounced /ˈa-krəd/ and divided into syllables as ac·rid.

What is the origin of the word "Acrid"?

"Acrid" comes from Latin ācr-, ācer "sharp, pungent, biting" + the English formative -id (as in acid:2); replacing acrious, from Latin ācer + -ious acr-. First known use: 1633.