sharp-tongued

American  

[shahrp-tuhngd] / ˈʃɑrpˈtʌŋd /

adjective

1. characterized by or given to harshness, bitterness, or sarcasm in speech.

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sharp-tongued British  

adjective

1. bitter or critical in speech; sarcastic

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Etymology

Origin of sharp-tongued

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Gary Oldman is having a blast as Jackson Lamb, the greasy, rumpled, sharp-tongued and strategically flatulent keeper of a den of MI5 misfits.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

As Nancy’s torn between being the picture-perfect housewife and the rebellious free thinker, Kidman recalls the sharp-tongued Joanna Eberhart from “The Stepford Wives,” who fought against her community’s robotic femininity until it consumed her.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2025

But he has lost none of the sharp-tongued vitriol of his punk origins.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2025

Among the most sharp-tongued figures in the dispute over the last year was LIV CEO Greg Norman, whom many of those loyal to the PGA Tour consider to be an arrogant buffoon.

From Slate • Jul. 11, 2023

But there were voices inside: a woman speaking roughly and a sharp-tongued child answering her in an angry, spiteful tone.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry