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.
“Tyler is more of a known quantity than his predecessor Albert Manifold, having joined BP’s board nearly 18 months ago and sat in the chair’s seat since Manifold’s acrimonious departure in May,” AJ Bell says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But they added that talks were candid and not acrimonious.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
Wednesday’s debate was acrimonious almost from the beginning, with the two interrupting each other throughout the night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Election lawyers told the newsrooms that it is unlikely Paxton could make such an argument given his ongoing public and acrimonious divorce.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
And now there was an acrimonious madrigal, with parts sung in all quarters of the car.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
