acrimony

noun

ac·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈa-krə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce acrimony (audio)
plural acrimonies
: anger and bitterness : harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings
The dispute continued with increased acrimony.

Examples of acrimony in a Sentence

The dispute began again with increased acrimony. she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again
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.
That vote was meant to provide more clarity over the balance of power in government but instead fostered more acrimony and division, with parties on both the left and right winning respective rounds of the election. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025 All this acrimony stemmed from a case where Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis spectacularly whiffed while attempting to criminalize rap lyrics and super glue the misdeeds of everyone Thug and Gunna knew onto them. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025 As if a perfect coda to a day of acrimony, Kennedy pulled out his phone and scrolled as Senators were winding down the day. Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Sep. 2025 Much of this diplomatic work was underway before the recent bout of public acrimony. Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acrimony

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acrimonie, borrowed from Latin ācrimōnia, from ācr-, ācer "sharp, biting, keen" + -mōnia, suffix of abstract nouns (going back to the Indo-European noun-forming suffix *-mĕ̄n-/*-mŏ̄n- + the abstract noun formative *-i-) — more at acr-

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acrimony was in 1542

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Cite this Entry

“Acrimony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acrimony. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

acrimony

noun
ac·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈak-rə-ˌmō-nē How to pronounce acrimony (audio)
plural acrimonies
: harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or disposition
acrimonious
ˌak-rə-ˈmō-nē-əs
adjective
acrimoniously adverb
acrimoniousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on acrimony

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