acidulous.

1. Having a mildly acidic or sour taste rather than an intensely sharp one.

2. Mildly sharp or sour in manner, speech, or writing, often conveying restrained criticism.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• an acidulous drink
• an acidulous taste
• acidulous fruit

On the page

The acidulous dressing sharpened the salad without overwhelming the vegetables.

A little water softened the drink's acidulous taste.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / image-rich description. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Comparative more acidulous; superlative most acidulous when comparison is meaningful. Commonness: uncommon (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Direct full extraction: somewhat acid/harsh in taste or manner; slightly sour Latin origin; natural examples mildly acidic drink and gently acidulous writing. Two actual taste/behavior meanings separated, not marked extreme. Individually checked for a distinct image, texture, sound, taste, smell, visual-perception or artistic function. Definitions/examples are original; sensory strength is not assumed to imply emotion. Writing functions: gentle sourness, restrained sharpness in speech.