acerbic

[ uh-sur-bik ]

See synonyms for: acerbic acerbically on Thesaurus.com

adjective

sour or astringent in taste: Lemon juice is acerbic.
harsh or severe, as of temper or expression: acerbic criticism.

Origin of acerbic

1860–65; <Latin acerb(us) sour, unripe, bitterly harsh + -ic, irregular for -ous

Other words from acerbic

a·cer·bi·cal·ly, adverb
un·a·cer·bic, adjective
un·a·cer·bi·cal·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with acerbic

acerbic , acid, acrid

Words Nearby acerbic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acerbic in a sentence

He did not suffer criticism silently and was often acerbic in his responses.
Louis Pasteur’s devotion to truth transformed what we know about health and disease | Tom Siegfried | November 18, 2022 | Science News
The acerbic Philadelphia journalist William Cobbett termed Rush’s bleeding “one of those great discoveries which are made from time to time for the depopulation of the Earth.”
Beyond the Founding Fathers: 12 Unsung Figures Who Helped Build America | Olivia B. Waxman | July 1, 2022 | Time
On his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday, the acerbic host had some harsh words for our butt-crazy culture.
Kim Kardashian Bares Her Shiny, Bounteous Butt, Breaks the Internet | Marlow Stern | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Think of a slightly less acerbic, more feminine Tom Wolfe, her literary idol and inspiration.
Novelist Holly Peterson Talks About New York, Power Trippers, and Love | Hannah Seligson | April 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If Brady were as uptight and acerbic as Belichick often seems, the Patriot train would have long ago run off the rails.
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Don’t Control Their Own Legacies | Evin Demirel | January 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

But Tom Boswell makes it all look easy, gliding between the seasons with appreciation and acerbic wit.
The Best Columns of the Year | John Avlon | December 31, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
A hazy choral interlude follows, followed by more nasty beats and acerbic lyrics.
Praise ‘Yeezus’: Kanye West’s New Album Is an Eclectic Tour de Force | Marlow Stern | June 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for acerbic

acerbic

/ (əˈsɜːbɪk) /

adjective

harsh, bitter, or astringent; sour

Origin of acerbic

C17: from Latin acerbus sour, bitter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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