acrimonious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of acrimonious
From the Medieval Latin word ācrimōniōsus, dating back to 1605–15. See acrimony, -ous
Explanation
Locked in a mean-spirited, bitter argument? That's an acrimonious situation that might result in fists flying unless you and your opponent can cool down. If you're familiar with the adjective acrid, which means "having a strongly unpleasant taste or smell," you might guess that acrimonious probably refers to something unpleasant, too. And you'd be right. Until the mid-nineteenth century, acrimonious meant the same thing as acrid. But while acrid is still most commonly used in a literal sense (as in "an acrid odor"), acrimonious is now used to describe things like angry and bitter speeches or debates. Both words come to English from the Latin word acer, meaning "sharp." Keep sharp objects locked up if a showdown gets too acrimonious.
Vocabulary lists containing acrimonious
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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Grade 11, List 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the acrimonious turn of events in Mexico City last weekend brought that forward by a few races.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Rabbi Nadav Caine and his family gathered in their Michigan home to break challah bread for their weekly Shabbat meal, a brief respite from the acrimonious midterm election campaign dividing Jewish voters in their state.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
During her acrimonious divorce from Brandon Blackstock, the homes were fought over by both parties.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
Hedge-fund billionaire John Overdeck is going through two acrimonious breakups at once.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Mr. Merriweather could not drive, and if their dissension reached the acrimonious, Mrs. Merriweather would stop the car and hitchhike to town.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
