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.
"I'm so disappointed we've reached this point," Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said of the acrimonious environment in Washington.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
Spirited, and occasionally acrimonious, internal debate has always been a part of working at “60 Minutes.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
He told Wilson that he hoped that he could help broker peace between the two sides as “the new guy,” without the “long, acrimonious relationship” that other board members had with Wilson.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Former head coach Eddie Jones says the scenes at the end of England's defeat against Ireland on Saturday reminded him of the acrimonious end of his own time in charge at Twickenham.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
The altercation threatened to descend into an acrimonious civil war, and I did my best to prevent a rupture.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
