mordancy

noun

ˈmȯr-dᵊn(t)-sē How to pronounce mordancy (audio)
Definition of mordancynext
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

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 mordancy 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
  1. bitterness
  2. severity
  3. hostility
  4. virulency
  5. virulence
  6. bile
  7. malice
  8. anger
Noun
  • His bitterness over his broken dreams not only hangs over his own life, but threatens to shatter his family.
    — Steve Palopoli, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Some taste like sweet custard with fruity flourishes, others carry a hint of bitterness, an alcohol tinge or even a peanut butter-like flavor.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • Chapman, 33, should know Monday the severity of a hernia and a core muscle tear in his right abdomen.
    — Devin Bradshaw, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Since October 2023, the number and severity of settler attacks have skyrocketed, including arson and other destruction of property, the killing of livestock, violent assaults and murder, taking place almost every day.
    — Kamel Musallet, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • On the obverse of this hostility is a genuine love of life, at least in some of its forms.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Given the extent of the disruption to oil exports from the Middle East since the start of hostilities between Washington and Tehran, most of the hikes announced by OPEC+ since March have had a negligible impact on the physical crude market.
    — Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostility
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
Definition of virulency
Noun
  • Firefighters and authorities in both European countries were caught off guard by the virulence of the fires, which were fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • The virulence of the French and Spanish wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change, caught fire crews and authorities off guard.
    — Mark Carlson, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Definition of virulence
Noun
  • The liver just might be one of your hardest-working organs, producing proteins and filtering the blood, metabolizing nutrients and creating necessary bile for digestion.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease begins in the slender tubes that carry digestive bile and is associated with symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, fever and night sweats.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of bile
Noun
  • Colt Gray, now 16, pleaded guilty to 55 felony counts, including four counts of malice murder, on Friday.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • The suspect, who has not been identified due to his age, faces two counts of malice murder, possession of a pistol by a minor, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of malice
Noun
  • One staffer who is still at the CDC said much of her anger is tied up in knowing that Kennedy’s feelings about vaccines are similar to the shooter’s.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Many kids arrived with anger and trauma from living in broken homes.
    — Sharon Chin, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of anger

Browse Nearby Words

morbidness
mordancy
mordant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mordancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordancy. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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