corrosive
Americanadjective
-
having the quality of corroding or eating away; erosive.
-
harmful or destructive; deleterious.
the corrosive effect of poverty on their marriage.
-
sharply sarcastic; caustic.
corrosive comments on the speaker's integrity.
noun
adjective
-
(esp of acids or alkalis) capable of destroying solid materials
-
tending to eat away or consume
-
cutting; sarcastic
a corrosive remark
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of corrosive
1350–1400; late Middle English (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin corrōsīvus, equivalent to Latin corrōs ( us ) ( see corrosion) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English corosif < Middle French < Latin as above
Explanation
A corrosive substance, like hydrochloric acid, will eat away most things on which it is spilled. Watch out in chemistry lab: you wouldn't want to destroy your homework, desk, or worse, your own skin by spilling something corrosive on it. The word corrosive comes from the Latin word, corrodere, meaning "to gnaw away." Rodere (to gnaw) is the same root word for rodent, so you can remember the word corrosive because something that is corrosive gnaws through things like a rodent. The adjective corrosive is also used to describe something that is bitingly or spitefully sarcastic. If you're known for your corrosive wit, you probably don't win any popularity contests.
Vocabulary lists containing corrosive
Hatchet
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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Freak the Mighty
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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.
Harry Litman, a former US attorney and law professor, said in a Substack post that the ruling could have a "corrosive" impact on the administrative state.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
I presumed the franchise was beyond repair, that decades of corrosive leadership had ended any hope of turning the ship around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The regulated toxic substance is corrosive to the skin, eyes and lungs, and high levels of exposure can lead to choking, burns and death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
White liquor is a highly corrosive chemical used in the paper-making process.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Five Soviet spacecraft— Veneras 8 through 12—have landed on Venus and successfully returned data from the surface, no insignificant feat in so hot, dense and corrosive a planetary atmosphere.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions 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.
