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
  • The bitterness this caused would help lead to the rise of radical elements in Germany—Erzberger was murdered in 1921, and Hitler would come to power over the next decade—eventually bringing about the Second World War.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Joseph Zada is beyond impressive in a highly demanding role that pushes him to the limit physically and emotionally, perfectly capturing the essence of Haymitch with all the sympathy, charm and bitterness Woody Harrelson brought to the role.
    — Zack Sharf, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • But questions remain over the severity of the conditions to which ADOR subjected NewJeans—a battery of brutal training regimes and unusually strict personal terms that are laid out in a new report from The New York Times.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Homeowners face fresh challenges as climate change accelerates the frequency and severity of storms.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • With instant messaging yet to be invented, 11 am—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—was chosen to be the time when hostilities would officially cease in order to allow news of the armistice to reach the front lines.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Trump has floated the possibility of restarting hostilities with Iran after the midterm election.
    — Justin Papp,Caleigh Keating,Garrett Downs,Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan, CNBC, 3 Nov. 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
  • Stomach Bile In one sequence of the film, Jay finds himself in the whale’s stomach bile.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Oct. 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
  • The two are fond but sick of each other, at times bickering with real melancholy and malice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Court finds Defendant could not have responded to these instances of 'actual malice' in the First Amended Complaint, as they were not framed as such.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of malice
Noun
  • Industry support When Corral’s exit from Movistar Plus was announced last year, there was an outpouring of anger, grief and concern from Spain’s creative community that is rarely afforded to a commissioning executive.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The person reading the issue lowered it to reveal a face tense with anger, devilishly exaggerated by his thin black beard and mustache.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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