acrimonious

adjective

ac·​ri·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce acrimonious (audio)
Synonyms of acrimonious
: 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.
Louisiana Tech's football team is currently listed on both the Sun Belt and Conference USA league schedules as the Bulldogs' acrimonious departure from Conference USA continues to drag out. ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026 Washington — The Senate failed again on Thursday to advance a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security, with the impasse growing increasingly acrimonious nearly a month into the partial shutdown. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 In the breakup between Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham, the sides have decided to go with conscious uncoupling rather than an acrimonious divorce. Jessica Bartlett — Boston Globe, STAT, 10 Mar. 2026 That was the Crowes’ first new release in 14 years, and the first since the Robinsons reactivated the band in 2019 after a mostly acrimonious five-year hiatus. Gary Graff, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2026 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 22 Mar. 2026.

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