What does "acid" mean?
A sour substance.
Acid
/ˈæsɪd/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sour substance.
- Grammar: acid is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: acerb, acerb, acerbate, acerbic.
- Useful contrasts: alkaline, base, chemical salt.
- Usage evidence: Acid rain in drinking water affects human health.
How to use "acid"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "acid" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "acid" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "acid" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "acid" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "acid" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acerb" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "acid", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sour substance. countable, uncountable
- 2 Acronym of atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability, a set of properties that guarantee database transactions are processed reliably. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
"SQLite relies on native file locking and page journaling to implement ACID properties."
- 3 street name for lysergic acid diethylamide wordnet
- 4 Any compound which yields H+ ions (protons) when dissolved in water; an Arrhenius acid. countable, uncountable
"SE onset depends on a complex network of interactions among plant growth regulators, mainly auxins and cytokinins, during the proembryogenic early stages, and ethylene and gibberellic and abscisic acids later in the development of somatic embryos."
- 5 any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Any compound that easily donates protons to a base; a Brønsted acid. countable, uncountable
- 7 Any compound that can accept a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond; a Lewis acid. countable, uncountable
- 8 Any corrosive substance. countable, uncountable
"You are in error. / This is terror. / This is your banishment. This land is mine. / This is what you earn. / This is the Law of No Return. / This is the sour dough, this the sweet wine. / This is my history, this my race / And this unhappy man threw acid in my face."
- 9 LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide. slang, uncountable
"In the end, though, there is one sure way to distinguish a real hippie from his assorted sympathizers: hippies drop acid. That is, real hippies frequently, if irregularly, ingest LSD."
Adjective
- 1 Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar.
"acid fruits or liquors"
- 2 Sour-tempered. figuratively
"His response was harsh and acid."
- 3 Of or pertaining to an acid; acidic.
"acid soils"
- 4 Denoting a musical genre that is a distortion (as if hallucinogenic) of an existing genre, as in acid house, acid jazz, acid rock.
Adjective
- 1 having the characteristics of an acid wordnet
- 2 harsh or corrosive in tone wordnet
- 3 being sour to the taste wordnet
Example
"Acid rain in drinking water affects human health."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "acid"?
Common synonyms include: acerb, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbic, acerbity.
How do you use "acid" in a sentence?
Acid rain in drinking water affects human health.
How do you pronounce "acid"?
Pronounced /ˈæsɪd/.
Etymology
From French acide, from Latin acidus (“sour, acid”), from aceō (“I am sour”). Doublet of agita.