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
Relevance
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
Gary Oldman plays the acerbic Jackson Lamb, the odoriferous chief of Slough House where MI5 agents who just can’t cut it – or who are being punished for one reason or another – are sent.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Even the most vegan among us can’t resist a bleeding slice of Broadway beef: Andrew Lloyd Webber, President Trump, and Madonna have all been targets of her acerbic commentary.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Jean Smart has earned three Emmys for her portrayal of acerbic Vegas comedy legend Deborah Vance, and Hannah Einbinder has established her career bona fides (and earned three Emmy nominations) as Deborah’s not-exactly-loyal employee, 20-something comedy writer Ava Daniels.
—Akiva Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Makary, for instance, has been hailed for pioneering several surgical procedures; in the 2010s, Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, gained recognition for his rigorous—albeit acerbic—takes on precision medicine and cancer drugs.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Even the most vegan among us can’t resist a bleeding slice of Broadway beef: Andrew Lloyd Webber, President Trump, and Madonna have all been targets of her acerbic commentary.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Jean Smart has earned three Emmys for her portrayal of acerbic Vegas comedy legend Deborah Vance, and Hannah Einbinder has established her career bona fides (and earned three Emmy nominations) as Deborah’s not-exactly-loyal employee, 20-something comedy writer Ava Daniels.
—Akiva Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Makary, for instance, has been hailed for pioneering several surgical procedures; in the 2010s, Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, gained recognition for his rigorous—albeit acerbic—takes on precision medicine and cancer drugs.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
-
His father, observing his children’s unconventional career choices, eventually developed his own sarcastic advice for parents.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
Idiotic rich boy Bertie Wooster gets himself into some kind of sticky situation with another rich idiot, and his quietly sarcastic, above-it-all, genius butler Jeeves inevitably gets him out of it.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
-
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The finish is bright, pleasantly acidic, and long lasting.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
-
The finished dish is bright, acidic, and perfectly seasoned.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The group of inmates escaped by yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet, crawling through a hole in the wall behind it and scaling a barbed wire fence in the early morning hours.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
-
Louisiana Attorney General's Office via AP The group of inmates escaped by yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet, crawling through a hole and scaling a barbed wire fence in the early morning hours when a lone guard left to get food.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
-
Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share