1
as in acidic
causing or characterized by the one of the four basic taste sensations that is produced chiefly by acids
a slightly acidulous drink that is far more refreshing than the overly sweet iced tea that is also available
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2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a gently acidulous writing style that never becomes annoying
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of acidulous
Six days a week, its chirpy, acidulous anchors expose the shortcomings of cabinet ministers and their opposition shadows.
—
Dominic Green, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
Ray collaborated with the cinematographer Harry Stradling to create a screeching, acidulous palette of yellows, reds, and greens that stand out all the more against Ray’s calculated array of black-and-white outfits.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2022
His tangy, off-kilter visual compositions, rendered in an acidulous, sun-washed Kodachrome palette, convey a sense of spontaneous wonder and enthusiasm and lend daily conversations and activities a distinctive cinematic identity.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 June 2022
Here, Mankiewicz, working for the first time in color—in a palette on the edge of the alluring and the acidulous—relies on a determinedly moving camera to convey the passage of time and evoke the drama’s elegiac mode.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 30 July 2021
Sharp observations like these show us glimpses of the acidulous social satirist of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
—Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2021
Sourced from Provence, the purple plant is balanced out by acidulous Italian bergamot and spicy-sweet tonka bean.
—Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 6 June 2019
Dominic Green, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
Ray collaborated with the cinematographer Harry Stradling to create a screeching, acidulous palette of yellows, reds, and greens that stand out all the more against Ray’s calculated array of black-and-white outfits.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2022
His tangy, off-kilter visual compositions, rendered in an acidulous, sun-washed Kodachrome palette, convey a sense of spontaneous wonder and enthusiasm and lend daily conversations and activities a distinctive cinematic identity.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 June 2022
Here, Mankiewicz, working for the first time in color—in a palette on the edge of the alluring and the acidulous—relies on a determinedly moving camera to convey the passage of time and evoke the drama’s elegiac mode.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 30 July 2021
Sharp observations like these show us glimpses of the acidulous social satirist of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
—Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2021
Sourced from Provence, the purple plant is balanced out by acidulous Italian bergamot and spicy-sweet tonka bean.
—Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acidulous
Adjective
-
The site should have well-draining loose soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH (6.0-7.0).—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Soil pH level: The pH level tells you how acidic your soil is.—
BestReviews,
The Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While Lucie is warm, vivacious, and a ray of light that shines off the page, Aiden is a grumpy, reluctant romantic who hides behind sarcastic quips.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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For instance, a sarcastic comment brushed off as a joke, or unspoken expectations that fuel resentment.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For the Abe Lincoln tomato, for example — a century-old, disease-resistant red slicer with rich, slightly acid flavor — there is seed from listers in California, Nebraska, Maine, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Jersey.—
Margaret Roach,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Black dragons are the ultimate swamp monsters that shoot an acid breath attack.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
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The real star of the show, though, is not the satiric script or the campy performances, but rather how each character brings their own unique approach to dressing for the corporate ladder.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
There were no trees nearby, just rows and rows of tan and olive-green tents erected on cement and surrounded by airport hangars, porta-potties, barbed wire, and guard towers.—
Edwidge Danticat,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
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Additionally, the walls were covered in barbed wire, and the balcony had a large privacy wall.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to acidulous
Cite this Entry
“Acidulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acidulous. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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