acrimonious
adjective
ac·ri·mo·ni·ous
ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs 
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
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
The status update was the first filing by either party since one of the most successful pop duos of all time burst into the headlines in 2023 with their acrimonious split.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
The former couple's acrimonious split played out in the public eye before it was finalized in March 2022.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2025
While the two clubs engaged in a battle that became acrimonious, amid claim and counterclaim over Mbeumo’s fee, the player himself had patience that the pieces would eventually fall into place.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Unrivaled’s relationship with the WNBA continues to grow more complex, though, amid the W’s acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acrimonious
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.
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
The former couple's acrimonious split played out in the public eye before it was finalized in March 2022.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2025
While the two clubs engaged in a battle that became acrimonious, amid claim and counterclaim over Mbeumo’s fee, the player himself had patience that the pieces would eventually fall into place.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Unrivaled’s relationship with the WNBA continues to grow more complex, though, amid the W’s acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acrimonious
Cite this Entry
“Acrimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrimonious. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share