acerbic

a·cer·bic

 (ə-sûr′bĭk) also a·cerb (ə-sûrb′)

adj.

1. Sour or bitter tasting; acid. See Synonyms at bitter, sour.

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).

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[From Latin acerbus; see ak- in Indo-European roots.]

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a·cer′bi·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

acerbic

(əˈsɜːbɪk) or

acerb

adj

harsh, bitter, or astringent; sour

[C17: from Latin acerbus sour, bitter]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•cer•bic

(əˈsɜr bɪk)

adj.

1. sour or astringent in taste.

2. sharply or bitterly severe, as temper or expression.

[1860–65; < Latin acerb(us) sour, unripe + -ic]

a•cer′bi•cal•ly, adv.

a•cer′bi•ty, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

acerbic

- Often describes a sharp or biting mood, temper, tone, or wit; acerbity is normally a bit less sharp than sarcasm.

See also related terms for temper.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	acerbic - sour or bitter in taste     acerb, astringent sour - 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" blistering, caustic, acid, vitriolic, acerb, acrid, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, bitter unpleasant - disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings ; "an unpleasant personality"; "unpleasant repercussions"; "unpleasant odors"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

acerbic

adjective sharp, cutting, biting, severe, acid, bitter, nasty, harsh, stern, rude, scathing, acrimonious, barbed, unkind, unfriendly, sarcastic, sardonic, caustic, churlish, vitriolic, trenchant, acrid, brusque, rancorous, mordant, mordacious comments made in a spirit of acerbic wit

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

acerbic

adjective

1. Having a noticeably sharp pungent taste or smell:

acrid, bitter, harsh, sour.

2. Having a taste characteristic of that produced by acids:

acerb, acetous, acid, acidulous, dry, sour, tangy, tart.

3. So sharp as to cause mental pain:

acid, acidic, acrid, astringent, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordacious, mordant, pungent, scathing, sharp, slashing, stinging, trenchant, truculent, vitriolic.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

ätzendbeißendbittergalligsauer

kärkeväkitkeräkyyninenpurevasarkastinen

acerbeâpre

acerbic

[əˈsɜːbɪk] ADJ

1. [taste] → acre, acerbo

2. (fig) → mordaz, cáustico

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

acerbic

[əˈsɜː^rbɪk] adj (= critical) [wit, comment, comedy] → acerbe

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

acerbic

adj person → gerissen; wit → scharf; remark, comment, style → bissig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

acerbic

[əˈsɜːbɪk] adj (frm) (also) (fig) → acido/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

acerbic

, acerb

a. agrio-a, ácido-a, áspero-a.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012