acrimonious

adjective

ˌa-krə-ˈmō-nē-əs How to pronounce acrimonious (audio)
Definition of acrimoniousnext
as in angry
having or showing deep-seated resentment an acrimonious parting between the two former friends

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 acrimonious On Friday, the group released their first new music since their acrimonious breakup in 2023. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 The potential answers to these plentiful questions are all over the map and tend to instigate acrimonious debates. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Lee, who left in an acrimonious split in 2022, declined to comment. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Wednesday’s debate was acrimonious almost from the beginning, with the two interrupting each other throughout the night. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for acrimonious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acrimonious
  1. angry
  2. rancorous
  3. sore
  4. cynical
  5. bitter
  6. embittered
  7. acrid
  8. resentful
Adjective
  • Why would anyone want to do this in a game about an angry, unkillable mutant with claws sharp enough to cut through space-time?
    — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Seehorn carried a heavy load as its lead, playing a sad, angry woman forced to save the world from happiness and the hive mind.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • Simmering in the background is a rancorous debate on whether to restrict Chinese AI models.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • His supporters rewarded him with a landslide victory, then held their tongues as the Conservative leader bowed to rancorous calls to resign amid the Partygate scandal after three years in office.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Definition of rancorous
Adjective
  • Sophomore Duke Clark impressed with 65 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while explosive Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, sidelined by a sore hip, should eventually be a factor.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The two-month conflict, which killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service members and three islanders, remains a sore point in Argentina more than four decades later.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • The film is certainly casting a spell, and whether or not that’s simply cynical (and insidiously effective) marketing doesn’t much matter when you’re caught up in it.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There’s rom-com-style banter between Alice and her colleague Danny (Scoot McNairy), and cynical mentorship from FBI agent Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who has seen enough to drive her to drink.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynical
Adjective
  • These included bitter title fights and tangles with his former teammate Nico Rosberg, plus flashpoints with Valtteri Bottas and Russell.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • At Joontos, the chefs concoct dishes such as the batata harra, which recalls patatas bravas with black lime—a pervasive, earthy-bitter top note in Saudi cuisine.
    — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of bitter
Adjective
  • In one scene, Amy heroically assuages an embittered foster kid by returning him to the memory of a fun school field trip.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The phone-comedy discussion followed a scene in which Julie Kessler and Billy Epstein, the proudly embittered struggling comedians played by Klausner and Eichner, confront an up-and-coming digital creator.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of embittered
Adjective
  • All law enforcement smell the same, like acrid bile buried in roses.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Finding places to play Eight miles from central Nairobi, the air over the Dandora landfill is gauzy with the acrid, chemical smoke of burning garbage.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of acrid
Adjective
  • While all sides are feeling the economic impact and loss of tourism, some are heartened and others resentful.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026
  • By gradually accomplishing a de-facto annexation of the West Bank, the settlements would require Israeli Jews either to rule over a resentful non-Jewish population of about equal size or to surrender the Jewish identity of their state.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of resentful

Browse Nearby Words

acridness
acrimonious
acrimoniously
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Cite this Entry

“Acrimonious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acrimonious. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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