What does acrid mean?
Word: Acrid
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Acrid means sharp and bitter in smell or taste, in a way that stings the nose or throat.
Synonyms: pungent, bitter
Antonyms: mild
How do you spell acrid?
Syllables: ac - rid
Tricky part: Only one c follows the a, even though words such as accrue and accost open with two.
Watch out for: accrid, akrid
Memory tip: A bitter whiff makes you pull back at once, so there is no time for a second c.
Acrid in a sentence
Example 1: Acrid fumes from the old generator drifted across the playground.
Example 2: The chemistry room still had an acrid smell after the experiment.
Example 3: An acrid taste stayed in my mouth after I bit into the unripe fruit.
Fun Fact
That sharp, throat-catching smell when cooking oil overheats comes largely from a substance called acrolein, whose name shares a Latin root with acrid.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word acrid as used in the sentence:
An acrid smell drifted from the pan when the sugar caught on the bottom.
a) fragrant
b) strange
c) smoky
d) stale
Show answer
a) fragrant. A fragrant smell is sweet and pleasant, the reverse of one that stings.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
ac__d
a) r, o
b) r, a
c) r, i
d) l, i
Show answer
c) r, i. The word closes with rid, as in get rid of.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
A cloud of acrit smoke rose from the burnt popcorn, so Grandfather opened all the windows and the back door to let in fresh air.
a) acrit
b) Grandfather
c) popcorn
d) windows
Show answer
a) acrit. The word ends in a d, not a t.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. tanggy 2. savourey 3. acrid 4. rancyd
a) pleasantly sharp in flavour
b) salty or spicy rather than sweet
c) smelling or tasting like stale butter
d) harshly bitter to the nose or tongue
Show answer
d) harshly bitter to the nose or tongue. Savoury, rancid and tangy have each gone wrong here, which leaves acrid.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An acrid smell would most likely come from ____.
a) a bowl of ripe Alphonso mangoes
b) a string of fresh jasmine flowers
c) a tray of warm brown bread
d) a heap of smouldering rubbish
Show answer
d) a heap of smouldering rubbish
2. If an acrid taste stays in your mouth, you would most likely want to ____.
a) save some for a friend
b) tell the cook it was lovely
c) have a little more of it
d) rinse it away with water
Show answer
d) rinse it away with water
