definitions

mordacious

[ mawr-dey-shuh s ]
/ mɔrˈdeɪ ʃəs /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mordacious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

biting or given to biting.
sharp or caustic in style, tone, etc.

RELATED WORDS

acerbic, acid, acidic, acrid, acrimonious, astringent, bitter, caustic, corrosive, cutting, incisive, mordant, pungent, scathing, severe, sharp, slashing, trenchant, truculent, vitriolic

Nearby words

morbus, morceau, morcellation, morcellation operation, morcha, mordacious, mordancy, mordant, mordant rouge, mordecai, mordent

Origin of mordacious

1640–50; < Latin mordāci- (stem of mordāx given to biting) + -ous

Related forms

mor·da·cious·ly, adverbmor·dac·i·ty [mawr-das-i-tee] /mɔrˈdæs ɪ ti/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mordacious

  • Unable longer to endure the lash of his mordacious wit, Shaynon turned and left them alone on the balcony.

    The Day of Days|Louis Joseph Vance

  • Grand-duke and taxes were synonymes, according to this mordacious lexicographer!

    Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Isaac Disraeli

British Dictionary definitions for mordacious

mordacious

/ (mɔːˈdeɪʃəs) /

adjective

sarcastic, caustic, or biting

Derived Forms

mordaciously, adverbmordacity (mɔːˈdæsɪtɪ) or mordaciousness, noun

Word Origin for mordacious

C17: from Latin mordax, from mordēre to bite
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