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The etymology of mordant certainly has some bite to it. That word, which came to modern English through Middle French, ultimately derives from the Latin verb mordēre, which means "to bite." In modern parlance, mordant usually suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness. Mordēre puts the bite into other English terms, too. For instance, that root gave us the tasty morsel ("a tiny bite"). But nibble too many of those and you'll likely be hit by another mordēre derivative: remorse ("guilt for past wrongs"), which comes from Latin remordēre, meaning "to bite again."
Synonyms of mordant
Examples of mordant in a Sentence
Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
That a film with such mordant humor can still land with the dramatic weight of its final act puts the film over the top and cements Panahi as a filmmaker of unique skill and piercing insight.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
Nemens’s absurd, mordant outlook keeps the story from resembling a soap opera, as does her pitch-black sense of humor.
—New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mordant. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
mordant
noun
