acrimony

1 biting sharpness of feeling or expression she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again Synonyms acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriol Related Words gruffness, harshness, hostility, relentlessness, severity, sternness, vehemence; coldness, crossness, discourteousness, iciness, impoliteness, incivility, nastiness, rudeness, sourness, surliness, ungraciousness; anger, animosity, gall, jaundice, malevolence, malice, rancor, scorn, spite, spleen, venom, vindictiveness; jealousy, pique, resentment, sour grapes Near Antonyms civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness; compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth; oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity

2 a harsh or sharp quality the acrimony of his parting words shocked everyone in the office Synonyms acerbity, acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, acrimoniousness, edge, acuteness, asperity, bite, bitterness, harshness, keenness, poignance, poignancy, pungency, roughness, sharpness, tartnessRelated Words ginger, punch, spice, tang; raucousness, severeness, severity, shrillness, virulence, vitriol; cattiness, maliciousness; pointedness, thorninessNear Antonyms gentleness, kindlinessAntonyms mildness, softness