adjective
- Sour or bitter in taste.
- synonyms: acerb, 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: acerb, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). acerbic. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/acerbic/definitions/1167191 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "acerbic" http://smartdefine.org/acerbic/definitions/1167191 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, acerbic, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/acerbic/definitions/1167191>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "acerbic" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/acerbic/definitions/1167191> |