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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective acrid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of acrid are caustic, mordant, and scathing. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

When would caustic be a good substitute for acrid?

While in some cases nearly identical to acrid, caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

When can mordant be used instead of acrid?

The words mordant and acrid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

In what contexts can scathing take the place of acrid?

In some situations, the words scathing and acrid are roughly equivalent. However, scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of acrid Families huddled in underground metro stations for shelter and acrid smoke hung over the city centre. Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 4 July 2025 Explosions could still be seen in the area as of 10 p.m. and an acrid smell wafted across the fields around the one-mile evacuation area. Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2025 As a sanitation worker in New York City for almost two decades, Mr. Martin is well accustomed to tossing bags of acrid, leaky garbage from the curb into the back of a truck. Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 2 June 2025 Wearing a mask to filter out the acrid tang of sulfates and carbon soot, Wu uses his phone’s camera to capture the license plates and company markings on the buses, then a nearby address, then the school’s façade. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for acrid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acrid
Adjective
  • After bandaging the bleeding leg Saturday, Bichette woke up sore Sunday, Schneider said.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The federal rollback has disproportionately impacted states like Virginia and Maryland, which are so close to Washington, and have become a sore point for Republicans as voters react negatively to the hiring reductions.
    Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Creative differences led to a bitter falling out between Davies and Hodgson, who left the band in 1983.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
  • But to have the season’s only returning houseguest exit on a twist like this, and not even from gameplay, social standing or an eviction vote leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, to say the least.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • White Noise Noah Baumbach's 2022 satirical drama stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig — who married Baumbach in 2023 after dating for 12 years — play a married couple in the 1980s.
    Jacqueline Weiss, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • While the homage is heartfelt, and certainly packs its share of genuine laughs, the end result can’t escape feeling like a hodgepodge, incapable of cohesively blending the satirical elements with the earnest messaging foremost on its mind.
    Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • One unbearable sequence has Chiang coming back angry in the middle of the day and suddenly raping Chuan in their bedroom.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2025
  • In late July, centrist independent US Senator Angus King released a startlingly angry statement.
    Jack Sheehan September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Even an otherwise neutral comment can be contorted into a sarcastic retort, an insult or a counterattack.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • On the par-4 14th, Scheffler splashed out of a greenside bunker to 10 feet, missed the par putt, and then, without hesitation, threw a sarcastic fist pump toward the hole.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Nicole Kidman adds just the right amount of menace as a villainous taxidermist, but the heart of the movie lies in its celebration of kindness, decency and family—values that feel refreshingly radical in our cynical times.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • And there is often an expectation of escapism in romance that precludes dealing realistically with money — or, for big media blockbusters, a cynical assumption that audiences won't enjoy a romcom which also takes the logistics of life seriously.
    Chelsea Fagan, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Use fertile, moist, slightly acidic soil that’s well-draining, and amend it with compost or other organic matter.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Never use any acidic material on copper sinks.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That then led to a hearing regarding this preliminary injunction in Charlotte, an acrimonious battle, ahead of this week’s ruling from Bell.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Grimsby’s fortunes have been revived since a takeover led by local businessmen Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit ended an acrimonious spell under former owner John Fenty in 2021.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acrid. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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