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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
  • Arugula’s natural bitterness kicks off digestion before the first bite, cueing saliva, stomach acid and digestive enzymes that help the body prepare to break down a meal.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Why arugula may help digestion The whole pitch hinges on one thing, bitterness.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • No information was immediately available on the severity of the injuries.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Contract terms, vendor requirements, safety programs and business continuity planning can reduce either the likelihood or financial severity of certain losses before financing enters the equation.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • These advertisements stressed the importance of allowing Jews to immigrate to Palestine, a small country where there was hostility to such immigration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Sentiment was buoyed by a fall in crude oil prices, sending stock markets higher, despite continued hostilities in the Middle East.
    — Jenni Reid,Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 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
  • For Italian audiences, that means Angela (Vanessa Scalera) can spew bile nonstop, but there’s no question her children will stick by her.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Her words are not of gratitude but resentment, bile and narcissism.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of bile
Noun
  • Stacey Humphreys, 53, was convicted of malice murder and other crimes in the 2003 killings of 33-year-old Cyndi Williams and 21-year-old Lori Brown in an Atlanta suburb.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Dmitry Gorin, a former prosecutor, said in this case prosecutors would be able to prove implied malice from Rios driving.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of malice
Noun
  • Lee’s film is motivated less by anger and more by curiosity, compassion and a general confusion, as no one quite knows how to behave or feel or just be.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In politics—according to Berman and, by extension, Longwell—the most convincing arguments play to love, sympathy, greed, fear, and anger.
    — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger

Browse Nearby Words

morbidness
mordancy
mordant
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Cite this Entry

“Mordancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordancy. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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