acerbic

adjective

ə-ˈsər-bik How to pronounce acerbic (audio)
Definition of acerbicnext
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acerbic 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. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 June 2026 The Probability of Miracles follows Campbell Cooper (Collazo), an acerbic teenager dying of cancer who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, moves with her mom and younger sister to the town of Promise, where miracles are said to happen. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 June 2026 As embodied by John Lithgow, Dahl is incisive, avuncular, irascible, acerbic, and always entertaining. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 Netflix 'Miss You, Love You' In the dramedy, Allison Janney stars as an acerbic widow who gets help planning her husband's funeral from her estranged son's eager-to-please assistant (Andrew Rannells). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
  1. sarcastic
  2. satiric
  3. acidic
  4. barbed
  5. acid
Adjective
  • Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • This is taken as evidence of his status, not a sarcastic criticism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • The script for the video was written by Casale and his longtime friend Max Papeschi, an Italian satirical artist.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
  • Staff members of the satirical magazine Leman are on trial on charges of inciting hatred over a cartoon published last year that features the Prophet Mohammed and Moses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • The Venus flytrap is native only to the coastal wetlands and bogs of North Carolina and South Carolina, and grows naturally in nutrient-poor, acidic, and perpetually wet areas.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
  • Earlier studies also showed that slightly acidic seawater from the BPMED process can accelerate algae growth, and allow future systems to simultaneously recover minerals while producing chemicals, fuels, fertilizers, and biomass.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • But his view of Adrian’s methods, goals, and way of life end up making the bond of mentorship both tenuous and barbed.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, McGrew agreed to adjustments, including adding baffles to reduce sound from a attached generator for the tower and replacing tower fencing that incorporated barbed wire with taller, more natural looking fencing.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of barbed
Adjective
  • Controlling the temperature protects the battery’s internal chemistry from acid buildup and long-term damage.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
  • Scotto highlighted that Kinetik has purpose-built its system for sour gas handling, giving it an edge over new competitors that may face permitting delays of at least three years to build acid gas injection wells.
    — TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 21 June 2026
Definition of acid

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Cite this Entry

“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of acerbic for Spanish Speakers

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