Synonyms of acrid

acrid

adjective

ˈa-krəd 

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

• sore
• bitter
• angry
• cynical
• acrimonious
• rancorous
• embittered
• resentful
• sarcastic
• mad
• harsh
• hard
• irritated
• caustic
• vicious
• virulent
• acid
• scornful
• cruel
• disgruntled
• contemptuous
• discontented
• misanthropic
• disdainful
• vehement
• vitriolic
• disaffected
• savage
• trenchant
• mordant
• rough
• malcontent
• cutting
• knock-down, drag-out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• warm
• sweet
• sympathetic
• kind
• gentle
• loving
• unbitter
• tender
• forgiving
• caring
• warmhearted
• kindhearted

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

• satiric
• sarcastic
• acidic
• acid
• barbed
• pungent
• caustic
• corrosive
• biting
• acerbic
• sardonic
• scathing
• acidulous
• mordant
• tart
• sharp
• cynical
• ironic
• acerb
• harsh
• cutting
• sour
• scalding
• snarky
• blunt
• smart-aleck
• smart-alecky
• concise
• spiky
• dry
• smart-mouthed
• trenchant
• severe
• incisive
• brisk
• poignant
• wry
• cross
• bitter
• acrimonious
• sourish
• vitriolic
• abrupt
• gruff
• flippant
• facetious
• stringent
• resentful
• keen
• brusque
• curt
• pithy
• crisp
• sharp-tongued
• terse
• succinct
• insincere
• tartish
• tongue-in-cheek
• snippy
• rough
• backhanded
• snippety

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mild
• amusing
• playful
• merry
• gentle
• bland
• droll
• waggish
• diplomatic
• smooth
• sportive
• polite
• cordial
• urbane
• good-natured
• hospitable
• genial
• gracious
• affable
• good-humored
• suave
• sociable

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

Recent Examples of acrid

On Thursday, young men cleared away scrap metal from concrete basements amid an acrid smell of burning left from the strike two weeks prior. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Apr. 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

As the smoke and acrid odor from Netflix’s over-the-top pregame production cleared, two figures emerged from the haze to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2026 baseball season. — Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2026