as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours
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 mordant
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—
Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Pornographer is a riposte to the banning of The Dark, a very mordant kind of revenge.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Separated by interstitial shots of Cluj’s ahistorical new architecture, these long and static confessional scenes are spiked with Jude’s recognizably mordant wit, their dialogue timely enough to distract from the feeling of shooting fish in a barrel.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
The excesses of 1980s academia are ripe fodder for de Kretser’s mordant wit, but her aim here is more ambitious — and the results more rewarding.
—Emily Eakin, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Pornographer is a riposte to the banning of The Dark, a very mordant kind of revenge.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Separated by interstitial shots of Cluj’s ahistorical new architecture, these long and static confessional scenes are spiked with Jude’s recognizably mordant wit, their dialogue timely enough to distract from the feeling of shooting fish in a barrel.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
The excesses of 1980s academia are ripe fodder for de Kretser’s mordant wit, but her aim here is more ambitious — and the results more rewarding.
—Emily Eakin, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
-
All Systems Red is a legible introduction to Wells’ hyper-capitalist, playfully satiric galaxy.—
Rory Doherty,
Time,
16 May 2025
-
That’s the premise of Douglas Is Cancelled, a cruelly funny 2024 BBC sitcom that seems very much in sync with satiric comedies such as The Office and W1A and Yes Minister.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While the jeers towards Xhaka followed the midfielder, Arsenal’s captain at the time, retaliating to sarcastic cheers from the crowd at him being replaced in an October 2019 home match against Crystal Palace, those directed at Eboue were due to his performance.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
His first half was littered with increasingly ridiculous highlights: a lefty hook over Isaiah Hartenstein, a potpourri of 3s with hands in his face, a sarcastic stare-down after his defender tried taking a charge, followed by a pass to himself off the backboard to simplify the finish.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Also, eating large quantities of food can lead to increase acid production and acid reflux.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Gastrointestinal Symptoms Fish oil may stimulate acid production in the stomach, which can cause heartburn or indigestion—especially if taken on an empty stomach.—
Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN,
Verywell Health,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Some also claim that tomatoes turn out sweeter in less acidic soil, though the sugar content of a tomato may have more to do with that.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 May 2025
-
Prep the Soil Watermelons are heavy feeders that need full sun, well-draining and slightly acidic soil, and lots of nutrients to grow.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The inmates used blankets to protect themselves from the barbed wire on the fence.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
-
The inmates left the jail through a loading dock, scaled a wall, using blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire, and ran across Interstate 10.—
Michael Levenson,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
But on Reddit, in a more skeptical and caustic corner of the internet, an army of angry critics was assembling.—
Katherine Rosman,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
That lady is really the aforementioned murderous hag (Meredith Binder), her false veneer of youthful beauty reinforced by a magic mirror’s flattering (if also caustic) topless female spirits, and sustained via grisly methods seemingly inspired by Elizabeth Bathory.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share