as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a professor with a rather acerb sense of humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerb
Adjective
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Conversely, Charles Johnson expressed irate objections, and Renato Moicano offered sarcastic remarks.
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There’s the yellow, blue-nosed beaver Norb (Nick Bakay) — witty, sophisticated, sarcastic, and opinionated.
Adjective
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The student was referencing a line from the 1974 satirical film Blazing Saddles, a movie co-written by Richard Pryor.
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Early says that the movie takes much of its aesthetic and satirical cues from director Paul Verhoeven’s films Showgirls (1995) and Starship Troopers (1997).
Adjective
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Soft water contains few minerals and is acid.
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So, this is like an acid trip for me.
Adjective
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Some require extreme heat or highly acidic conditions.
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Blooming from late spring to summer and growing well in USDA Zones 7 to 11, gardenias prefer bright, indirect light, acidic, consistently moist soil, and regular feeding with an acidic fertilizer.
Adjective
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Vines have grown through the fence and barbed wire surrounding a tall art deco building in this city’s downtown, and cigarette holders and empty food tins litter the tall weeds.
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What happened to his barbed humanistic wit?
Adjective
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The comedian, 38, best known for his role as the acerbic gay best friend Elliott Goss in HBO’s Search Party, chose our meeting place to take advantage of the balmy late-May weather and to say goodbye to the neighborhood.
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Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Both DeVito and Perlman starred in Burrows sitcoms, DeVito as the cantankerous dispatcher Louie De Palma on Taxi and Pearlman the equally acerbic waitress Carla on Cheers.
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Cite this Entry
“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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