as in bitterness
biting sharpness of feeling or expression
the surprising mordancy with which the two physicians contested each other's claim to having discovered an effective vaccine for polio
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Recent Examples of mordancy
But Lloyd’s version brims with mordancy.
—
Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023
The gray-tint, cross-hatched drawings evoke George Cruikshank and Samuel Palmer, but the mordancy is vintage Sendak.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 17 Oct. 2022
Sarah Weinman, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2023
The gray-tint, cross-hatched drawings evoke George Cruikshank and Samuel Palmer, but the mordancy is vintage Sendak.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 17 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordancy
Noun
-
Of the many types of basil, the classic Italian 'Treviso' variety stands out for resisting bitterness, staying tender longer, and being slow to flower even as summer heats up.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Red flags included bitterness or any metallic notes the beans may have picked up during processing.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Those who break the rules are hit with fines depending on the severity of the infraction.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
So consider the size and severity of scratches and markings, as well as the item's price.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After years of fighting for its survival in the face of hacks and growing regulatory hostility, crypto’s fortunes abruptly change.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Jewish and civil rights groups blasted the move as weakening safeguards, fueling criticism that Mamdani’s early agenda signals hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The virulency of Covid-19 trained even those of us who shop locally out of principal to purchase online.—
Marc Peruzzi,
Outside Online,
2 Mar. 2021
Noun
-
Donald Trump’s back-to-back tirades this week against Somali immigrants in Minnesota, many of whom are U.S. citizens, brought into the open the kind of virulence that, during his first term, the President mostly tried to keep behind closed doors.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
4 Dec. 2025
-
One Pasteurella-like microbe carried genetic hints of virulence and has ties to deadly outbreaks in modern African elephants.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All brittleness and bile in the hands of Diego Luna, Valentín’s quiet righteousness rubs up against his cellmate’s grandiosity in all the wrong ways — at first.—
Blythe Marks,
Them.,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That means good bile flow (supported by healthy fats, hydration and fiber) and regular bowel movements so waste doesn’t get reabsorbed.—
Lauren Mallers,
Sacbee.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors could not prove malice in the case.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Some commenters did acknowledge a minority viewpoint, suggesting the conflict may stem from differing perspectives rather than malice.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Did the man go too far, or was his anger justified?—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
As Blacc hinted at, there is more than a little anger to go around about what happened before, during and since the fires, along with the sorrow and thousand other emotions.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mordancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordancy. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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