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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 But there’s a qualitative difference with a spiteful, foul-mouthed, score-settling president leading by acrid example. Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025 Semi acrid mid palate and a finish with vanilla and raspberries—doused in acidity. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor Today the acrid smell of burning paper permeates every room. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2025 Environmental and community activists welcomed the news of the refinery’s closure as complaints of acrid odors, fiery accidents, soot and harmful emissions have gained new resonance in recent years. Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for acrid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acrid
Adjective
  • The sore spot was red, swollen, and painful—and the boy and his mother had no idea what had caused it.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 22 May 2025
  • The $10,000 cap was a sore spot for many taxpayers in high tax states.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Where Silverman radically departs from Strindberg’s bitter play is in their portrait of Tekla, who is a spikily delightful self-starter instead of the idiot-monster of the original.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
  • Still, Levi isn’t bitter and blames the reporter for trying to use Gunn to publicly shame him.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
  • All Systems Red is a legible introduction to Wells’ hyper-capitalist, playfully satiric galaxy.
    Rory Doherty, Time, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Major tennis governing bodies moved to combat online abuse and published last year a report that attributed nearly half of abusive social media posts to angry gamblers.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Testimony in a Placer County murder trial continued Tuesday with an investigator reciting angry emails over a $1.3 million loan for a fledgling business between a Lake Tahoe-area couple and their former Major League Baseball player son-in-law who is accused of shooting them.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Still, Ernst shared a sarcastic apology video after facing criticism from Democrats over her response to the town hall attendees' concerns.
    Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 2 June 2025
  • The vibe, never exactly cheerful, and never leavened by a hint of even the most sarcastic sense of humor, takes a turn for the horrific one evening in the wake of the bawdy revels celebrating Tomek’s wedding.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • The British showrunner of that blisteringly cynical drama spent five years and 39 episodes giving us a portrait of filthy rich people pulling strings and behaving badly.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2025
  • But the message at the heart of Isle of Dogs, that saving others is the only way to save one’s self, is enough to turn the most cynical viewer into a believer—and maybe even a dog lover.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • The way the soil responds will give you an idea of whether your soil is acidic, alkaline, or neutral.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 May 2025
  • The acidic soil at Sutton Hoo, which rotted away the wood of the Anglo-Saxon ship and only left impressions of planks and rows of iron rivets, means that many of the bone combs previously found at Sutton Hoo have not been well-preserved, Howarth said.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • There was the acrimonious split between Sir Ben Ainslie and Ratcliffe over the British team in the America’s Cup, while INEOS is in a legal dispute with New Zealand Rugby over the failure to pay the latest instalment of its £3.7m-a-year sponsorship deal.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 12 May 2025
  • Despite a somewhat acrimonious parting with Judas Priest, Binks joined his former mates at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and played three songs with the band.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acrid. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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