acidulous

[ uh-sij-uh-luhs ]

adjective

1. slightly sour.
2. sharp; caustic:

   his acidulous criticism of the book.

3. moderately acid or tart; subacid.

acidulous

/ əˈsɪdjʊləs /

adjective

1. rather sour
2. sharp or sour in speech, manner, etc; acid

Other Words From

• suba·cidu·lous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acidulous¹

From the Latin word acidulus, dating back to 1760–70. See acid, -ulous

Word History and Origins

Origin of acidulous¹

C18: from Latin acidulus sourish, diminutive of acidus sour

Example Sentences

Sharp observations like these show us glimpses of the acidulous social satirist of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

From Washington Post

In “Appropriate,” a young boy innocently runs downstairs wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood that he found stored away in the attic, turning an acidulous domestic comedy into something queasier.

From Los Angeles Times

His landmark 1962 essay “White Elephant Art vs. Termite Art” set grandiose self-importance against the power of acidulously burrowing deep into personal passions.

From Los Angeles Times

Colin makes acidulous remarks about her morals; she snaps back at him to get a job.

From New York Times

Because the first and most significant thing that will strike your ears from the first second of The Well-Tuned Piano is the acidulous yet soft-focused beauty of the tuning system Young uses in the piece.

From The Guardian