acrid

1 of 2

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

acridity

2 of 2

noun

acrid·​i·​ty ə-ˈkri-də-tē  a- 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being acrid : irritating sharpness : extreme bitterness

the acridity of alkali

the acridity of a critic's words

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 of acrid

Adjective

• sore
• bitter
• angry
• cynical
• acrimonious
• rancorous
• embittered
• resentful
• sarcastic

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

Adjective

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

Adjective

Creepy compliments his acrid smell with an air of invincibility. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 May 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

Verified video and photos from the region showed how sprawling strikes across parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley shot towering columns of acrid smoke into the sky above the capital and sparked a desperate evacuation. —Matt Bradley, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026

An acrid musk of unfiltered Camels clung to everything. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

acrid + -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1547, in the meaning defined above

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