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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Goldberg continued before asking her co-hosts their opinions in a sarcastic tone.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025 -
Where Jackie is sarcastic, cynical, and all sharp edges, Zoey is enthusiastic and warm.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the premise of Douglas Is Cancelled, a cruelly funny 2024 BBC sitcom that seems very much in sync with satiric comedies such as The Office and W1A and Yes Minister.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
22 Mar. 2025
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Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The acid content of these foods irritates your child's skin, causing redness that can look like a rash.6 Viruses and Bacterial Infections Certain viral or bacterial infections may cause multiple symptoms around the mouth, including a rash.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
18 Apr. 2025
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Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist whose smooth fusion planted the seeds of acid jazz and neo soul, died Wednesday at the age of 84.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Crisp, acidic and linear aromas of grapefruit, green apples, melon, candy cane and lemon grass; slight lime and salt.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Most veggies prefer slightly acidic soil, but these crops thrive in more alkaline gardens.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Standing in front of an array of 4,500 Canadian solar panels and across from a wall topped with barbed wire, Gov. Ned Lamont today announced the completion of seven solar projects at prisons located in Enfield, Cheshire and Somers.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some of the humor has a barbed, geopolitical aim in a war for the world’s hearts and minds — see the Chinese government’s fusillade of memes — but political scientists say that, for many people, humor is a natural response to stressful times.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The sitcom, after all, technically began as a reboot of Roseanne, the charming and acerbic sitcom about a working-class family in Illinois that initially aired from 1988 to 1997.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Péter Szijjártó, a member of Orbán's right-wing Fidesz party, allied with many of the ideals of Trump's MAGA movement, welcomed the 's return to the White House while striking a consistently acerbic tone on E.U. sanctions against Russia.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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