Definition of acridnext
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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 Colwin is an Ephron contemporary, without the acrid humor, but of the same Manhattan kitchens and family dinner tables, perhaps more attuned to quiet, lonely suffering. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025 For example, when trapped or crushed, these beetles release a yellowish defensive fluid from their leg joints that emits a strong, acrid odor and can stain walls or fabrics. Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025 After joining Alpha Genesis that December, Strickland needed a few days to adjust to the acrid smell of the grounds—feces shot through with ammonia—and to the codes of behavior governing human-macaque interactions. Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Day turned to night as thick, acrid clouds blackened the sky. Robert Wyss, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acrid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acrid
Adjective
  • Jimmy Butler was lost for the season last week with a torn ACL, and trade candidate Jonathan Kuminga has been unable to play while battling a sore knee.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Sacramento, which by all rights should be rebuilding, put themselves on course to be over the luxury tax next season by adding a 28-year old with sore knees while giving up a 26-year-old whose next contract will likely be for half as much.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The only thing that may be crazier than the actual football life is this satirical comedy-drama that has more to do with a hedonistic existence than play-action passes.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
  • But it’s set apart from the rest of her work by a long, satirical section sending up gothic fiction and its fans.
    Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Its leader, Tarique Rahman, the son of former prime minister and bitter Hasina rival, the late Khaleda Zia, has since returned to Bangladesh after 17 years of exile and now appears the frontrunner to win.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Their 32 points after 25 games have them one above their Sunday hosts and bitter rivals in 13th place in the Premier League, nine clear of the relegation zone.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Tom Lester played Eb Dawson, the Douglases' sarcastic young farmhand.
    Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Jan. 2026
  • The worse things are going, the more bitter and sarcastic my humor sometimes gets.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, members of Congress are likely to face some angry, dissatisfied voters — with the year’s first major primary day fast approaching on March 3.
    Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
  • But the attempt at humor didn’t satisfy some angry fans who believe Mets President David Stearns swindled Getz in a trade that essentially was a salary dump.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Aluminum foil is heat resistant and can be used to line pans or cover dishes, but isn't nonstick, and may not be safe for acidic food applications.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The acidic content in vinegar breaks down mineral deposits, hard water stains, and buildup and neutralizes odors.
    Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • In his experiences and chronicles of the great ideological battles of the twentieth century, Curzio Malaparte was a shape-shifter—pitiless, clinical, cynical, unsentimental, indifferent to morality and idealism.
    Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
  • That didn’t happen, not least because of the cynical fecklessness of regional powers.
    Juan Pablo Spinetto, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • An arrest has been made in an acid attack on a Long Island college student that happened nearly five years ago.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • As wine lovers’ taste in Chardonnay has moved from ripe and buttery to lean and racy, higher-acid, more-flavorful versions have come into vogue.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Acrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acrid. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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