acrimonious

adjective

ac·​ri·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs 

: angry and bitter : caustic, biting, or rancorous especially in feeling, language, or manner

an acrimonious dispute

acrimoniously adverb

acrimoniousness noun

Synonyms of acrimonious

• angry
• rancorous
• sore
• cynical
• bitter
• embittered
• acrid
• resentful

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

For much of the summer, that competition has seemed, if not friendly, at least not openly acrimonious. — Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

The doc follows Oasis across 12 concerts on three continents during their Live ’25 tour, the band’s first live appearances since their acrimonious split back in 2009. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026

The film was produced entirely by Wiseman, but Clarke’s relationship with her early supporter turned acrimonious. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026

On Friday, the group released their first new music since their acrimonious breakup in 2023. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

acrimony + -ous

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for acrimonious

• ceremonious
• inharmonious
• parsimonious
• sanctimonious
• erroneous
• felonious
• harmonious
• peroneus
• polonius
• unceremonious