Word: acidulous (adjective)

Associations

The word "acidulous" describes something that tastes or sounds slightly sour or sharp, but not very strong. It can be used for flavors, comments, or attitudes that have a mild sourness or sharpness.

• When you taste a fruit that is a bit sour but not very strong, you can say it has an acidulous flavor.
• If someone makes a comment that is a little bit sharp or slightly biting but not harsh, you might describe it as acidulous.
• Acidulous can also describe a tone of voice that sounds a bit sarcastic or cutting but not very aggressive.

Synonym: "sour" is a common synonym, but "acidulous" usually means a milder, less intense sourness. "Sour" can be stronger and more unpleasant, while "acidulous" often has a subtle or slight quality.

Substitution

You can replace "acidulous" with:

• slightly sour (for taste)
• mildly sharp (for comments or tone)
• tart (for flavor)
• biting or cutting (for remarks, but these are stronger than acidulous)

Each substitution changes the meaning slightly. For example, "biting" is stronger and more aggressive than "acidulous."

Deconstruction

The root "acid-" comes from Latin "acidus," meaning "sour" or "sharp." The suffix "-ulous" means "somewhat" or "slightly." So "acidulous" literally means "somewhat sour" or "slightly sharp."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a food or drink that tastes acidulous?
• Have you ever heard an acidulous comment or tone from someone? What was the situation?
• How is acidulous different from very sour or harsh? Can you describe a time when a mild sharpness was better than a strong sourness?