vitriolize

especially British, vit·ri·ol·ise

[vi-tree-uh-lahyz]

verb (used with object)

vitriolized, vitriolizing 

1. to treat with or change into vitriol.

2. to injure or burn with sulfuric acid.

vitriolize

/ ˈvɪtrɪəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to convert into or treat with vitriol

2. to burn or injure with vitriol

Other Word Forms

• vitriolization noun
• unvitriolized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vitriolize¹

First recorded in 1685–95; vitriol + -ize

Example Sentences

Schoenberg planned it as an attack on sappiness, explaining that he wanted to “vitriolize out the cello sentimentality of the Bruchs, etc.,” referring to Max Bruch’s elegiac version, among others.

From New York Times