vitriol

[ vi-tree-uhl ]

/ ˈvɪ tri əl /

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See synonyms for vitriol on Thesaurus.com

noun

Chemistry. any of certain metallic sulfates of glassy appearance, as copper sulfate or blue vitriol, iron sulfate or green vitriol, zinc sulfate or white vitriol, etc.

oil of vitriol; sulfuric acid.

something highly caustic or severe in effect, as criticism.

verb (used with object), vit·ri·oled, vit·ri·ol·ing or (especially British) vit·ri·olled, vit·ri·ol·ling.

to treat with or as with vitriol, especially sulfuric acid.

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Origin of vitriol

1350–1400; Middle English <Medieval Latin vitriolum, vitreolum, equivalent to Latin vitre(us)vitreous + -olum, neuter of -olus -ole¹

Words nearby vitriol

vitrics, vitrification, vitriform, vitrify, vitrine, vitriol, vitriolic, vitriolize, vitrum, Vitruvian scroll, Vitruvius Pollio

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vitriol in a sentence

Also, I know now how it feels to be on the receiving end of incredible vitriol.
Chrissy Teigen and the perils of being an extremely online celebrity|Sonia Rao|June 17, 2021|Washington Post
Anderson understands better than most the vitriol that Wilson inspires in fans of other NHL teams.
For some Caps fans, loving Tom Wilson is getting complicated|Scott Allen|May 14, 2021|Washington Post
Oshie’s performance came in vivid contrast to the vitriol that opened the game.
T.J. Oshie’s hat trick gives Capitals final say in fight-filled win over Rangers|Samantha Pell, Scott Allen|May 6, 2021|Washington Post
The vitriol also obscures a broader imperative, Relman says, which is that uncovering the virus’s origins is crucial to stopping the next pandemic.
Did the coronavirus leak from a lab? These scientists say we shouldn’t rule it out.|Niall Firth|March 18, 2021|MIT Technology Review

My son did, because I was incapable of taking the vitriol out of the reviews to get to the usable entity, the observation aisle and the delivery mode.
There’s no stopping Twyla Tharp, even as she approaches 80|Peter Marks|March 18, 2021|Washington Post
Unfortunately, the attention to appearance also leads to copious amounts of vitriol being spewed at famous women every day.
The Outrage Over Beyonce’s Bettie Page Bangs: Why the Media Must Stop Objectifying Women|Phoebe Robinson|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, few filmmakers get as much bile and vitriol spewed their way as the man behind Madea.
Gone Girl’s Biggest Twist Is the Superb Tyler Perry|Alex Suskind|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Threats, intimidation, and the usual Internet vitriol sprouted.
How Not to Reply to a Racist Tweet|Tauriq Moosa|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This, in turn, feeds into an outpouring of anti-Arab vitriol on social media.
Is Twitter Trolling Making the Israel-Palestine Conflict Worse?|Emily Shire|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just Google “Patrick Wilson Girls backlash,” and wait for the hateful, Lena Dunham-bashing vitriol to bombard your screen.
Louis C.K. Apologizes to the ‘Fat Girls’|Amy Zimmerman|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her despair was laced with vitriol and she avoided a kind word about anybody.
Tristram of Blent|Anthony Hope
They were found to be made of green vitriol, starch and sugar.
The Eugenic Marriage, Vol. 3 (of 4)|W. Grant Hague
Dissolve in the filtrate some white vitriol of the size of a pea.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
By mixing clay and oil of vitriol, in the way described under Alum.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
It was a small bottle bearing a stained chemist's label and the word "Vitriol."
The Daffodil Mystery|Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for vitriol

vitriol

/ (ˈvɪtrɪˌɒl) /

noun

another name for sulphuric acid

any one of a number of sulphate salts, such as ferrous sulphate (green vitriol), copper sulphate (blue vitriol), or zinc sulphate (white vitriol)

speech, writing, etc, displaying rancour, vituperation, or bitterness

verb -ols, -oling, -oled, -olling or -olled (tr)

to attack or injure with or as if with vitriol

to treat with vitriol

Word Origin for vitriol

C14: from Medieval Latin vitriolum, from Late Latin vitriolus glassy, from Latin vitrum glass, referring to the glossy appearance of the sulphates

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