wherein (Z)̵-COO is the residue of an iodinated aromatic acid; M is H, a cation, (̵CH₂CH₂O)̵ m H, and (̵CH₂CH(OH)O)̵ p H; m is an integer from 1 to 150; p is an integer from 1 to 50; and L is one or more divalent linking groups selected from alkylene, cycloalkylene, arylene, arylenealkylene, and alkylenearylene are particularly useful as wetting agents in x-ray imaging compositions and in methods for x-ray diagnostic imaging.