acidulous

/əˈsɪdʒələs/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈsɪdʒələs/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈsi-jə-ləs/ (ame, mw)

acidulous — adjective

  • acidulouspositive
  • more acidulouscomparative
  • most aciduloussuperlative

1. having a sharp but mild sour taste, the kind you get from a green apple or a squ

1.形容詞C2
釋義

having a sharp but mild sour taste, the kind you get from a green apple or a squeeze of lemon

例句

The lemonade at the fair had an acidulous kick that made Piotr's eyes widen.

collocation: acidulous kick

Noor added a splash of vinegar to give the stew a pleasant acidulous edge.

同義詞
  • tangy

    more common and informal; suggests a pleasant sharpness rather than sourness

  • tart

    sharper and more noticeable than acidulous; commonly used for fruit

  • sour

    broader and more everyday; lacks the 'mildly' nuance of acidulous

反義詞
  • bland

    lacking any sharp or distinctive taste

  • sweet

    having a sugary rather than sour flavour

  • mellow

    smooth and rounded in taste, with no sharp edges

常見錯誤

❌The soup was too acidic for my taste.' (when describing mild sourness).
✅The soup was too acidulous for my taste.
💡'acidic' implies a much stronger, harsher sourness that stings or burns.

2. using words that are sharply unkind and intended to hurt someone's feelings or t

2.形容詞C2
釋義

using words that are sharply unkind and intended to hurt someone's feelings or to put them down

例句

The critic's acidulous review reduced the young chef to tears in the kitchen.

acidulous review — describing harsh critique

The gallery fell silent after Dimitri's acidulous remark about Kehinde's painting.

acidulous remark — describing a cutting comment

同義詞
  • acerbic

    very close in meaning but slightly more common; often suggests bitterness as well as sharpness

  • caustic

    harsher and more burning; implies the words cause lasting damage

  • cutting

    more common and informal; emphasises the wounding effect of the words

  • mordant

    sharply intelligent and often witty; more about dark humour than cruelty

反義詞
  • complimentary

    expressing praise rather than criticism

  • kind

    gentle and considerate rather than harsh

用法筆記

Only used of speech, writing, or manner — never of physical taste. Distinguish from sense 1 (sour taste): if you can replace the word with 'sharp-tasting', it is sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌The lemon tasted acidulous and cruel.
✅The lemon had an acidulous tang.
💡sense 2 (SHARP CRITICISM) is only for people's words or behaviour, never for describing food.