acrimonious

adjective

ac·​ri·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce acrimonious (audio)
: angry and bitter : caustic, biting, or rancorous especially in feeling, language, or manner
an acrimonious dispute
acrimoniously adverb
acrimoniousness noun

Examples of acrimonious in a Sentence

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
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
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
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
He went through an acrimonious divorce. an acrimonious parting between the two former friends
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in an acrimonious parting of the ways following a referendum in which 99 percent of South Sudanese backed independence. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 The most recent season saw Maggie helping her daughter Sarah pick up the pieces of her life after an acrimonious divorce from Xander. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 The event capped almost 18 months of turbulence for the long-running contest, which underwent an acrimonious change in leadership following the resignation of Miss USA 2023, Utah’s Noelia Voigt, amid allegations of mistreatment. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025 There was an acrimonious lawsuit filed in 1988 on Buoniconti’s behalf against the school and its trainer and team doctor, both sides blaming the other. Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acrimonious

Word History

Etymology

acrimony + -ous

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acrimonious was in 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Acrimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrimonious. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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