adjective
- Sour or bitter in taste.
- synonyms: acerbic, astringent
- Harsh or corrosive in tone.
- usage: "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"
- synonyms: acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). acerb. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/acerb/definitions/1167190 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "acerb" http://smartdefine.org/acerb/definitions/1167190 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, acerb, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/acerb/definitions/1167190>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "acerb" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/acerb/definitions/1167190> |