acrid

adjective

ac·​rid ˈa-krəd How to pronounce acrid (audio)
1
: sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor : irritating
acrid smoke
2
: deeply or violently bitter : acrimonious
an acrid denunciation
acridity noun
acridly adverb
acridness noun

Did you know?

Acrid exactly fits the smoke from a fire—a burning building or forest, for example. Dense smog may cast an acrid pall over a city, making throats burn and eyes sting. But, like acid and acerbic, acrid sometimes also describes nonphysical things, such as the remarks of a bitter person.

Choose the Right Synonym for acrid

caustic, mordant, acrid, scathing mean stingingly incisive.

caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Examples of acrid in a Sentence

Thick, acrid smoke rose from the factory. there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The smell of coffee and conchas at one food cart — and food cooked on a plancha at another — mingled with the lingering acrid smoke of the smoldering remains of the surrounding neighborhood. Mel Buer, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025 The sky was clear over Los Angeles on Tuesday, a welcome respite after acrid smoke from wildfires choked the region last week. Amy Graff, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025 My house was fine — lots of soot and ash, even inside, and the smell inside was acrid. Katherine Turman, People.com, 12 Jan. 2025 Assigned to Joint Base Balad, one of the largest war zone U.S. installations, for a one-year hitch, Torres worked, ate, slept and exercised amid the acrid black smoke that billowed from the 10-acre burn pit fueled 24/7 by anything and everything that was disposable. John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 1 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acrid 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of acrid was in 1633

Dictionary Entries Near acrid

Cite this Entry

“Acrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrid. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

acrid

adjective
ac·​rid ˈak-rəd How to pronounce acrid (audio)
1
: biting or bitter in taste or odor
2
: bitterly irritating to the feelings
an acrid remark
acridly adverb
acridness noun

Medical Definition

acrid

adjective
ac·​rid ˈak-rəd How to pronounce acrid (audio)
: irritatingly sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor
acridly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on acrid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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