corrosive

adjective

cor·​ro·​sive kə-ˈrō-siv 

-ziv

1

: tending or having the power to corrode

corrosive acids

corrosive action

the corrosive effects of alcoholism

2

: bitingly sarcastic

corrosive satire

corrosive noun

corrosively adverb

corrosiveness noun

Synonyms of corrosive

• sarcastic
• satiric
• acidic
• acid
• barbed
• caustic

Examples of corrosive in a Sentence

She argues that racism is dangerous and corrosive to society.

a corrosive satire on the fashion industry and its movers and shakers

Recent Examples on the Web

What if Scream 7 were about the way nostalgia has become a corrosive force in entertainment, where familiar IP wins out over original ideas, and in the country at large, where fascism promises a return to a past ideal that never existed? —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026

Calcium chloride and potassium chloride can be corrosive to metal and concrete. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026

For traditionalists, those dollars feel corrosive. —Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026

What’s more, the gut’s corrosive, enzyme-rich environment can foul sensors in multiple ways, interfering with measurements and adding noise to the data. —IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corrosif, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin corrōsīvus, from Latin corrōsus, past participle of corrōdere "to gnaw, corrode" + -īvus -ive

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing corrosive

• corrosive sublimate

Rhymes for corrosive

• erosive
• explosive
• noncorrosive
• plosive

Kids Definition

corrosive

adjective

cor·​ro·​sive kə-ˈrō-siv 

-ziv

: tending or having the power to corrode

corrosive acids

corrosive noun

corrosively adverb

corrosiveness noun

Medical Definition

corrosive

1 of 2 adjective

cor·​ro·​sive -ˈrō-siv, -ziv 

: tending or having the power to corrode

corrosive acids

a corrosive gas

corrosiveness noun

corrosive

2 of 2 noun

: a substance that corrodes : caustic