mordant

American  

[mawr-dnt] / ˈmɔr dnt /

adjective

1. sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; biting.

   Synonyms:

   scathing, acerbic, cutting

2. burning; corrosive.

3. having the property of fixing colors, as in dyeing.

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noun

1. a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter, especially a metallic compound, as an oxide or hydroxide, that combines with the organic dye and forms an insoluble colored compound or lake in the fiber.

2. an adhesive substance for binding gold or silver leaf to a surface.

3. an acid or other corrosive substance used in etching to eat out the lines, areas, etc.

4. Music. mordent.

verb (used with object)

1. to impregnate or treat with a mordant.

mordant British  

/ ˈmɔːdənt /

adjective

1. sarcastic or caustic

2. having the properties of a mordant

3. pungent

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noun

1. a substance used before the application of a dye, possessing the ability to fix colours in textiles, leather, etc See also lake 2

2. an acid or other corrosive fluid used to etch lines on a printing plate

verb

1. (tr) to treat (a fabric, yarn, etc) with a mordant

Other Word Forms

• mordancy noun
• mordantly adverb
• unmordant adjective
• unmordantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of mordant

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, present participle of mordre “to bite,” ultimately derived from Latin mordēre; see -ant

Explanation

If you like Edgar Allan Poe and "The Addams Family," you have a taste for mordant entertainment — that is, anything particularly grim or dark in nature. The original meaning of mordant (which comes from the Latin word modere, meaning "to bite or sting,") was that of a physical substance that literally bit into something, such as the one used to set dye into fabrics, or etch lines into a copper plate. Now, mordant generally refers to a dark or biting artistic style, sense of humor, or psychological outlook.

Example Sentences

Via a wild final act, the nihilistic streak seen in many of Mr. Lanthimos’s previous movies emerges again, this time in an especially mordant way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Martinez scatters ceramic roses across the painting, a mordant honorific to past glory and current hopes.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

Instead, war broke out across Europe, and Asquith made his mordant headache joke on the way to the historical dumpster.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024

Typical of Lucy, it’s a funny bit with a mordant edge, bemoaning her situation by making light of it.

From New York Times • May 14, 2024

It failed to reach Sagane until after the war and was returned years later to Alvarez, who put his signature to it and delivered it again to Sagane as a mordant keepsake.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• acerbic
• biting
• caustic
• sardonic
• scathing