What is the Latin word for acrid?

The usual Latin words for “acrid” are ācer, acerbus, amārus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“acrid” in Latin

ācersharp, sour, bitter, pungent; keen, sharp, acute, sagacious; energetic, active, vigorous acerbusharsh, bitter, unripe, sour, premature, not yet marriageable; sharp, severe, bitter (i.e., extremely painful); rough, vi amārusbitter (taste); harsh, shrill (sound); sarcastic (speech)

The English word acrid itself goes back to Latin ācer, through ācris.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

acrid

acer (hot and biting, like mustard, garlic, onions): acerbus (of anything that contracts the tongue; e.g., unripe fruit, sour, opposed to suavis): amarus (opposed to dulcis: nauseously bitter).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for acrid?: The usual Latin words for “acrid” are ācer, acerbus, amārus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.