Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
acid test

acid test

3 4.1
An important test that shows if something really works
  • noun
  • /ˈæsɪd tɛst/
translation icon : prueba decisiva
  • This will be an acid test of whether RCP's unweighted average or Silver's weighted average is more accurate.

And I guess the ACID test is this final question.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The acid test for Mitt Romney will come tonight, after he debates the President on the subject of foreign policy.

    Blog text (30)

  • Love is the acid test of discipleship and the greatest of all spiritual gifts (1 Cor 13:13).

    Blog text (20)

  • And I guess the ACID test is this final question.

    Dr. Phil

  • The acid test is selling a product in the foreign market over a sustained period at a price lower than the domestic market price.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The acid test would be how much these religions stand up for American democratic and republican principles.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Here's the acid test: ask a teacher to mention two things Sir Ken Robinson has to say about education.

    Blog text (4)

  • But the acid test of ASTAE's efficacy will be whether a portfolio of Bank-financed renewable projects eventually emerges as a result of their efforts.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Nevertheless, the acid test of success is whether or not the learning will generalize to natural settings where there are no artificial supports (Schoen & Bullard, 2002).

    Academic text (2006)

  • The company's ability to innovate will be the acid test of its survival in the competitive market.

  • The final exam will serve as the acid test to determine if the students truly understood the course material.

Synonyms

litmus test
vsacid test
  • Informal
9 5.1

One clear sign that shows if something is acceptable

is a decisive test that proves overall value, quality, or truth

How Rigorous

acid test
3 4.1
litmus test
  • Informal
9 5.1
screening
23 3.9
smell test
4 3.8
check
720 1.0

Surface Forms

acid test singular
acid tests plural

Morphology

acid + test

The literal constituents 'acid' (a corrosive, revealing substance) and 'test' (an examination) give a clear metaphorical link to a harsh or revealing examination, so learners can partly infer that it means a decisive or revealing trial. However, the specific idiomatic sense 'a definitive proof of quality or truth' is a metaphorical extension rather than a direct compositional meaning, so it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Acid test comes from a real check people used on metals: they put acid on a piece to see if it dissolved, and real gold did not. Because the test clearly showed if the metal was real, today acid test means 'a decisive test that proves value or quality'.