mordancy

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 acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, acrimony, tartness, virulence, virulency, vitriolRelated 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 grapesNear Antonyms civility, cordiality, courtesy, diplomacy, geniality, graciousness, kindness, politeness, tactfulness; compassion, softness, sweetness, sympathy, tenderness, warmth; oiliness, smoothness, suaveness, suavity, unctuousness, urbanity