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acerbic

adjective
acer·​bic | \ ə-ˈsər-bik How to pronounce acerbic (audio) , a-\

Definition of acerbic

: sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone acerbic commentary an acerbic reviewer
Other Words from acerbic Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about acerbic

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Other Words from acerbic

acerbically \ -​bi-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce acerbically (audio) \ adverb

Did You Know?

English speakers created "acerbic" in the 19th century by adding "-ic" to the adjective "acerb." "Acerb" had been around since the 17th century, but for most of that time it had been used with only a literal "sour-tasting" sense. (The word acerb is still around today, but it is now simply a less common synonym of "acerbic.") "Acerbic" and "acerb" ultimately come from the Latin adjective acerbus, which can mean "harsh," "bitter," or "unpleasant." Another English word that comes from "acerbus" is "exacerbate," which means "to make more violent, bitter, or severe."

Examples of acerbic in a Sentence

Whitney has graced magazine covers for her acerbic and blunt evisceration of the banks she has covered. Several weeks ago, she left her well-paid post at Oppenheimer to start her own economic consultancy, where she will charge many of her employer's clients for her own unambiguous analysis. — Zachary Karabell, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009 … we probably have no choice but to enjoy Private Lives on its own terms—as a play that exults in its total lack of a public dimension. Coward's acerbic wit, his submerged sensibility, and his clipped semantics actually had a profound influence on the styles of virtually all the English dramatists who followed him … — Robert Brustein, New Republic, 10 June 2002 … discovery of self-esteem and New Agey conclusions ("I discovered there was a goddess deep inside me") are something that an acerbic comedian like Cho shouldn't embrace without irony. — Publishers Weekly, 7 May 2001 We want to experience how someone as acerbic as Jane Austen, as morally passionate as Dostoyevsky, as psychologically astute as Henry James makes sense of the chaos of this world. — Laura Miller, New York Times Book Review, 15 Mar. 1998 the film's most acerbic critics whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
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Recent Examples on the Web

 In other words, expect a lot more adventure with acerbic wit to come to screens large and small in the coming years. — Wired, "Hobbs & Shaw Ruled the Box Office Last Weekend," 5 Aug. 2019 Solomon, slightly built and charmingly acerbic in person, will be a familiar face to L.A. punk-scene vets. — August Brown, latimes.com, "Locals Moaning craft anxious music for an increasingly nervous local scene," 7 Mar. 2018 In a revelatory performance, Maron brings his own smart, acerbic persona to a man who never intended to own a pawnshop. — Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, "‘Sword of Trust’ is a beguiling, smart — and surprisingly deep — comedy," 25 July 2019 Then again, Thompson’s Katherine Newbury, an acerbic talk-show host facing imminent replacement, is more likely to bare her fangs than turn the world on with her smile. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Review: Thompson, Kaling drive ‘Late Night’ with brilliant chemistry," 14 June 2019 Then again, Thompson’s Katherine Newbury, an acerbic talk-show host facing imminent replacement, is more likely to bare her fangs than turn the world on with her smile. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Review: Thompson, Kaling drive ‘Late Night’ with brilliant chemistry," 14 June 2019 Then again, Thompson’s Katherine Newbury, an acerbic talk-show host facing imminent replacement, is more likely to bare her fangs than turn the world on with her smile. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Review: Thompson, Kaling drive ‘Late Night’ with brilliant chemistry," 14 June 2019 Then again, Thompson’s Katherine Newbury, an acerbic talk-show host facing imminent replacement, is more likely to bare her fangs than turn the world on with her smile. — Ann Hornaday, Twin Cities, "In ‘Late Night,’ Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling deliver wit and surprising sweetness," 13 June 2019 For a master class in colliding charming aesthetics and slightly more acerbic content, look at the collage artist Anne Taintor, who has been mashing up 1950s advertising imagery with witty phrases of her own invention since the mid-1980s. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "We buy each other gifts with misanthropic slogans to forge a common bond," 9 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acerbic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of acerbic

1865, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for acerbic

acerb + -ic entry 1

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