1
medical
: causing body tissues (such as skin) to tighten
—used to describe a liquid or lotion that makes the skin less oily or that helps to stop a cut from bleeding
astringent lotions
2
: having a sharp or bitter quality
an astringent taste
3
: very critical in a sharp and often clever way
Her speech included some astringent [=caustic, biting] comments about the other candidate.
an astringent critic of modern movies
Cite this Entry
“Astringent.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/astringent. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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