acrimonious

adjective

ac·​ri·​mo·​ni·​ous ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce acrimonious (audio)
Synonyms of acrimoniousnext
: 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.
Axios reported last month that Noem and Homan have a tense and acrimonious working relationship. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026 Marner’s acrimonious departure hung over the Leafs toward the end of last season. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026 Before a caseworker showed up at her house, emotions were running high, and talks had turned acrimonious. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026 Though their divorce was acrimonious, and the two were later involved in various legal proceedings, the source said that Clarkson knew the importance of her children’s relationship with their father. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Acrimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrimonious. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

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