Tasting or smelling of vinegar — sour, sharp, the way a pickle or a bad bottle of wine is. You use it when something is more sour than you expected, or sour when it should not be. A soup can go vinegary if you pour in too much; cheap wine that has sat open too long turns vinegary, and that is the polite way of saying it has gone bad.

Tasting or smelling of vinegar嚐起來或聞起來有醋味 — sour酸、 sharp刺鼻, the way a pickle or a bad bottle of wine is就像醃菜或一瓶壞掉的酒那樣. You use it你會用這個字 when something is more sour than you expected當某樣東西比你預期的還酸, or sour when it should not be或本來不該酸卻酸了. A soup can go vinegary湯可能會變得vinegary if you pour in too much如果你倒太多醋進去; cheap wine便宜的酒 that has sat open too long放太久沒蓋好 turns vinegary就會變得vinegary, and that is the polite way of saying it has gone bad這是委婉地說它壞掉了.

The word also gets used about people, though this is less common now. A vinegary person is sharp and unfriendly, quick with a cutting remark — a vinegary tone, a vinegary old aunt. The picture is the same: something that should be pleasant has gone sour.

The word also gets used about people這個字也可以用來形容人, though this is less common now雖然現在比較少見. A vinegary person vinegary的人 is sharp and unfriendly尖銳又不友善, quick with a cutting remark很快就會說出刻薄的話 — a vinegary tone尖酸的語氣、 a vinegary old aunt一個尖酸的老阿姨. The picture is the same畫面是一樣的: something that should be pleasant本該讓人愉快的東西 has gone sour卻變酸了.

This use sounds a little bookish or old-fashioned; you meet it in novels more than in speech.

This use這個用法 sounds a little bookish or old-fashioned聽起來有點書面、老派; you meet it你會在 in novels more than in speech小說裡比在口語裡更常遇到它.

Note the shape of it. This is vinegar with -y added, the same -y as in salty, sugary, milky. That -y is doing a soft job: it does not mean "contains vinegar" but "a bit like vinegar." So vinegary is usually a small complaint, not a description of the recipe.

Note the shape of it注意它的構造. This is vinegar with -y added這是vinegar加上-y, the same -y as in和salty、sugary、milky salty, sugary, milky裡的-y一樣. That -y is doing a soft job這個-y做的是個柔和的工作: it does not mean contains vinegar它不是指含有醋 but a bit like vinegar而是有點像醋. So vinegary is usually a small complaint所以vinegary通常是個小小的抱怨, not a description of the recipe而不是在描述食譜.