acrimonious

ac·ri·mo·ni·ous

adj \ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs\

Definition of ACRIMONIOUS

: caustic, biting, or rancorous especially in feeling, language, or manner <an acrimonious dispute>

— ac·ri·mo·ni·ous·ly adverb

— ac·ri·mo·ni·ous·ness noun

Examples of ACRIMONIOUS

1. He went through an acrimonious divorce.
2. <an acrimonious parting between the two former friends>
3. Each man came out of their acrimonious 200-meter showdown on July 23 with an injured hamstring and a decidedly negative vibe. —Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated, 11 Sept. 2000
4. My May 19, 1967, memorandum to the president unleashed a storm of controversy. … It led to tense and acrimonious Senate hearings that pitted me against the Joint Chiefs of Staff and generated rumors they intended to resign en masse. —Robert McNamara, In Retrospect, 1995
5. But considering the momentousness of the issue, the original Darwinian debate was far less acrimonious than might have been expected … —Gertrude Himmelfarb, American Scholar, Autumn 1981
6. We could tell, however, when debate became more acrimonious than professional, but this was from watching lawyers other than our father. —Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960

Origin of ACRIMONIOUS

(see acrimony)

First Known Use: 1659

Related to ACRIMONIOUS

Synonyms: acrid, bitter, embittered, hard, rancorous, resentful, sore

Antonyms: unbitter

Related Words: disaffected, discontented, disgruntled, malcontent; contemptuous, cynical, disdainful, misanthropic, scornful; angry, cruel, harsh, irritated, mad, rough, savage, vehement, vicious, virulent, vitriolic; acid, caustic, cutting, mordant, sarcastic, trenchant; knock-down, drag-out (or knock-down-and-drag-out)

Near Antonyms: caring, forgiving, gentle, kind, kindhearted, loving, sweet, sympathetic, tender, warm, warmhearted

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Rhymes with ACRIMONIOUS

Apollonius, ceremonious, disharmonious, inharmonious, parsimonious, sanctimonious