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
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 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
-
Charlotte struggled to surmount her anger and bitterness toward her once-dear sibling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
This tendency, called marcescence, may have developed a few million years ago to discourage large mammals from browsing on trees in winter due to the bitterness of the tannin-rich leaves surrounding buds.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Trinidad and Tobago disputes the spill’s size and severity, saying only 10 barrels spilled on May 1 and were quickly contained.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Research shows a strong link between HS severity and metabolic factors like obesity and insulin resistance, which contribute to a chronic pro-inflammatory state.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The onset of hostilities was enough to persuade around a hundred and eighty Democrats to support the measure.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
As swirling rumors and escalating fears mount of imminent US-Israeli strikes, there is a growing sense of inevitability among many Iranians about the resumption of hostilities.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
18 May 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
-
To predict how an outbreak will progress, epidemiologists often use stock-and-flow diagrams: illustrations featuring stocks of people (susceptible, infected, recovered, dead) and arrows showing flows between them based on factors such as exposure or virulence.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Flu has overtaken covid in infections and hospitalizations during the winter respiratory virus season, and their virulence is becoming similar.—
Fenit Nirappil,
Washington Post,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tons of commenters chimed in on the video, urging Abbie to go get checked for the temporary liver condition, which often occurs in the third trimester, and can slow bile flow, cause severe itching and elevated bile acids.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Nolan suffered from biliary atresia, a condition where bile ducts –– which carry the bile the liver makes into the intestines –– don’t develop properly.—
Camila Gomez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In June 2024, Bryant was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping and misdemeanor false report of a crime.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
-
Actual malice is the legal standard by which courts determine if someone is liable for libel.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To allow your anger at the cosmic unluckiness of a friend’s far-too-early passing be overwhelmed by your gratitude at the cosmic luckiness of ever having met them at all.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
The past has a way of forcing its way into the present through memory, guilt, shame, anger and, in many cases, emotional breakdowns.—
Jerry Colonna,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mordancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordancy. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
