caustic

adjective

caus·tic | \ ˈkȯ-stik

Definition of caustic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive The chemical was so caustic that it ate through the pipe.

2 : marked by incisive sarcasm a caustic film review caustic humor

3 : relating to or being the surface or curve of a caustic (see caustic entry 2 sense 2)

caustic

noun

Definition of caustic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a caustic agent: such as

a : a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action

b : a strong corrosive alkali (such as sodium hydroxide)

2 : the envelope of rays emanating from a point and reflected or refracted by a curved surface

Other Words from caustic Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about caustic

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Other Words from caustic

Adjective

caustically \ ˈkȯ-sti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

causticity \ kȯ-ˈsti-sə-tē

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for caustic

Adjective

caustic, mordant, acrid, scathing mean stingingly incisive. caustic suggests a biting wit. caustic comments mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness. mordant reviews of the play acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence. acrid invective scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity. a scathing satire

Did You Know?

Adjective

If you have a burning desire to know the origins of "caustic," you're already well on the way to figuring it out. "Caustic" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Latin causticus, which itself derives from the Greek kaustikos. "Kaustikos," in turn, comes from the Greek verb kaiein, meaning "to burn." Other "kaiein" descendants in English include "cautery" and "cauterize," "hypocaust" (an ancient Roman heating system), "causalgia" (a burning pain caused by nerve damage), and "encaustic" (a kind of paint which is heated after it's applied).

Examples of caustic in a Sentence

Adjective

His [Roosevelt's] caustic cousin, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, called him a sissy and a mama's boy. — Garry Wills, Atlantic, April 1994 It was Schuyler's gift for satire and his caustic wit that distinguished his writings and led to his nickname, the Black Mencken. — Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times Book Review, 20 Sept. 1992 Albert quailed before those caustic pronouncements, he shuddered and blanched and felt his stomach drop like a croquette into a vat of hot grease. — T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, October 1987 The chemical was so caustic that it ate through the pipes. She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The president’s caustic comments about Mr. Powell came as Mr. Trump repeatedly described the economy in personal terms. — Peter Nicholas, WSJ, "Trump Steps Up Attacks on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell," 23 Oct. 2018 Tolstaya is well known in Russia as a brilliant and caustic political critic, but her memories of her Soviet childhood have a tender, personal quality, devoid of any ideological ax-grinding. — Lev Grossman, New York Times, "Are Her Characters Seeing Things? Maybe. Maybe Not.," 5 Apr. 2018 Balls of caustic residue were observed burning on the ground after rising to the surface. — Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, "Eugene Leff, fought for New York in Love Canal case," 25 Apr. 2018 Balls of caustic residue were observed burning on the ground after rising to the surface. — Sam Roberts, New York Times, "Eugene Leff Dies at 73; Fought for New York in Love Canal Case," 23 Apr. 2018 The book is a more polished, extensive discussion of the concepts that pepper Orlin's blog, featuring his trademark caustic wit, a refreshingly breezy conversational tone, and of course, lots and lots of very bad drawings. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The math of why it’s so hard to build a spherical Death Star in space," 18 Sep. 2018 The 13-year-old boy has been charged by police with malicious bodily injury by means of any caustic substance or agent or use of any explosive or fire, WTKR reported. — Khushbu Shah, Teen Vogue, "A Teen Allegedly Lit Another Teen on Fire During a Dispute Over Lighting a Grill," 21 Aug. 2018 Doctors can attest to the desperate measures taken by women, from coat hangers to caustic chemicals poured into the vaginal canal. — Juan Carlos, Marie Claire, "This Is What a World Without Reproductive Rights Would Be Like," 25 Apr. 2016 Joshua Harmon’s brilliantly caustic comedy received rave reviews in its 2013 off-Broadway run. — F. Kathleen Foley, latimes.com, "The 99-Seat Beat: 'ICE," 'Noises Off,' 'Bad Jews' and more," 27 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

What McHugh favored was the fantastic, the caustic, the nakedly human, art with an irreverent or whimsical sense of humor, and art with little remove from raw physicality. — Leah Ollman, latimes.com, "This Candy Store wasn't a candy store: Remembering a California gallery that made art stars," 3 July 2018 The Sympathizer is the caustic, hyper-verbal tale of a double agent embedded in California after the end of the war, sending information back to Vietnam about the activities of the men who are both his friends and enemies. — Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, "Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Ghosts," 25 July 2017 Mr. Trump’s other mentor was the caustic and conniving McCarthy-era lawyer Roy Cohn, who counseled Mr. Trump never to give in or concede error. — Glenn Thrush And Maggie Haberman, New York Times, "Why Letting Go, for Trump, Is No Small or Simple Task," 21 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caustic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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11 Jun 2019

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The first known use of caustic was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for caustic

caustic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of caustic

: able to destroy or burn something by chemical action

: very harsh and critical

See the full definition for caustic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

caustic

adjective

caus·tic | \ ˈkȯ-stik

Kids Definition of caustic

1 : capable of eating away by chemical action : corrosive

2 : very harsh and critical caustic remarks

caustic

adjective

caus·tic | \ ˈkȯ-stik

Medical Definition of caustic

(Entry 1 of 2)

: capable of destroying or eating away organic tissue and especially animal tissue by chemical action silver nitrate and sulfuric acid are caustic agents

Other Words from caustic

caustically \ -sti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

causticity \ kȯ-ˈstis-ət-ē

\ noun, plural causticities

caustic

noun

Medical Definition of caustic (Entry 2 of 2)

: a caustic agent: as

a : a substance that burns or destroys organic tissue by chemical action : escharotic

b : a strong corrosive alkali (as sodium hydroxide)