acrid

adjective

ˈa-krəd How to pronounce acrid (audio)
Definition of acridnext
1
as in sore
having or showing deep-seated resentment there have been acrid relations between the two families ever since they fought over that strip of land

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in satiric
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 And then, on cue, Saturday thunderstorms compelled the acrid haze to stray. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026 From torrid heat waves, to deadly flash floods, to raging wildfires and their associated acrid smoke — the signs are all around us, right now. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Smoke from a Boyle Heights warehouse fire shrouds Dodger Stadium in acrid haze before the Dodgers’ 12-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026 Fighter jets roared overhead, and air strikes pounded the surrounding hillsides, sending up thick plumes of acrid smoke. — Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for acrid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acrid
  1. sore
  2. satiric
  3. bitter
  4. sarcastic
  5. angry
  6. acidic
  7. cynical
  8. acid
Adjective
  • Harvard Health Publishing notes that sloppy technique can strain the neck and leave you stiff and sore, which happen to be some of the same symptoms people blame on tech neck.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
  • My arm is sore from holding my phone at arm’s length for 10 minutes during the media scrum after the show.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • Minnesota Timberwolves player Anthony Edwards has brought back his satirical Believe That Awards, which went viral in 2025 — reaching 150 million cross-platform views — for crowning Timothée Chalamet white boy of the year.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Cockroach movement began as an online satirical campaign this summer after India’s chief justice compared unemployed young people to parasites.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • In the ensuing decade, lawyers at Texas Instruments and at Fairchild fought a bitter court battle over the patent.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And as a bitter midterm campaign season enters its final weeks, Bouchon and Goldhirsh understand the stakes.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitter
Adjective
  • Eidra pushes her tendency to get glib and sarcastic rather than risk being vulnerable and honest to its farthest limits.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Keeping The Faith So all’s well that ends well, and frantic, for Halfway 2 Jesus, Rock’s 13th album and the follow-up to 2022’s angry, politically charged Bad Reputation.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • Descaling solution is an acidic liquid that reacts with—and therefore breaks down—alkaline mineral build ups that happen over time wherever tap water sits or flows.
    — Emily Farris, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Bongulo Paneer — cooked in bamboo — with a coconut and capsicum poriyal blends peanut chutney with acidic gongura sour cream and fiery gunpowder.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • This time, Michael sounds less idealistic and much more cynical.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Goor and Del Tredici are gearing up to debut their next NBC sitcom, a single-camera workplace comedy starring Jake Johnson as a cynical detective working at a past-its-prime private investigator agency in Hollywood.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • Learning to season food, growing comfortable with adding salt—and ultimately acid, spice, and sweetness—according to your own preferences, is what home cooking is all about.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The idea that these two would have a five-minute-or-less breakup conversation, then plop down on the couch and happily embark on an acid trip together, strains credulity a little, even for this bizarre, codependent friend group.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of acid

Browse Nearby Words

acres
acrid
acridity
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Cite this Entry

“Acrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acrid. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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