acerbic
a·cer·bic (
-sûr
b
k) also a·cerb (-sûrb)
adj.
1. Sour or bitter tasting; acid. See Synonyms at bitter.
2. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression: “At times, the playwright allows an acerbic tone to pierce through otherwise arid or flowery prose” (Alvin Klein).
[From Latin acerbus; see ak- in Indo-European roots.]
a·cerbi·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Adj. |
1. |
acerbic – sour or bitter in tastesour – having a sharp biting taste |
2. |
acerbic – harsh or corrosive in tone; “an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose”; “a barrage of acid comments”; “her acrid remarks make her many enemies”; “bitter words”; “blistering criticism”; “caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics”; “a sulfurous denunciation”; “a vitriolic critique”unpleasant – disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings ; “an unpleasant personality”; “unpleasant repercussions”; “unpleasant odors” |