acrid

adjective

ac·​rid ˈa-krəd 

1

: sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor : irritating

acrid smoke

2

: deeply or violently bitter : acrimonious

an acrid denunciation

acridity

a-ˈkri-də-tē 

ə-

noun

acridly

ˈa-krəd-lē 

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.

Synonyms

• acrimonious
• bitter
• embittered
• hard
• rancorous
• resentful
• sore

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

And even those Angelenos whose homes are still standing are feeling a newfound sense of fragility, realizing with every step into the acrid air how little about their lives is assured. —Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025

Oxidation is one of the main things that makes old coffee taste stale and acrid. —Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024

The arguments made by antiabortion states to sugarcoat their manifestly misogynistic policies have always borne the acrid odor of cynicism and hypocrisy. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024

As anyone who ever tried concealing the clingy smell of cigarettes from their parents may remember, the acrid odor of smoke is hard to hide and harder to remove. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025

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

Kids Definition

acrid

adjective

ac·​rid ˈak-rəd 

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 

: irritatingly sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor

acridly adverb