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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

  1. morbus,
  2. morceau,
  3. morcellation,
  4. morcellation operation,
  5. morcha,
  6. mordaciously,
  7. mordacity,
  8. mordancy,
  9. mordant,
  10. mordant rouge

Origin of mordacious

1640–50; < Latin mordāci- (stem of mordāx given to biting) + -ous
Related formsmor·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 Formsmordaciously, 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
Word Origin and History for mordacious

mordacious

adj.

"given to biting," 1640s (originally figurative), from Latin mordac-, stem of mordax, from mordere "to bite," perhaps from PIE root mer- (2) "to rub, harm" (see smart (v.)). Related: Mordacity.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper