vitriol

noun

ˈvi-trē-əl How to pronounce vitriol (audio)
Definition of vitriolnext
1
as in bitterness
biting sharpness of feeling or expression a film critic noted for the vitriol and sometimes outright cruelty of his pronouncements

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abuse
harsh insulting language the review was more than just unfavorable—it was loaded with vitriol

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 vitriol The weekend contains more than its fair share of chaos, tears, and vitriol, but every character departs after the nuptials feeling confident that the whole affair was, somehow, worth attending. — Bobby Finger june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 Kellan White, who worked on the campaign in Pennsylvania, said the vitriol directed at Biden seemed misguided. — Julia Terruso, Time, 11 June 2026 Not visible in the frame was third baseman Manny Machado, who Stammen said had received the brunt of a spectator’s vitriol. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 11 June 2026 The Warriors went on to sweep the Spurs, but what Pachulia remembered was the simultaneous torrent of vitriol that ensued. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for vitriol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriol
  1. bitterness
  2. abuse
  3. hostility
  4. invective
  5. bile
  6. insult
  7. severity
  8. vituperation
Noun
  • As olives ripen, their oil content increases, texture softens and flavor becomes milder and less bitter – with the bitterness due to naturally occurring compounds called oleuropeins.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Mexican Americans have long risen up to defend ourselves and defy our haters, but there’s usually an underlying strain of bitterness and anger that kneecaps us at the worst possible moments.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • Nigeria imposed a $220 million fine on Meta in 2024 following an investigation that alleged a breach of data privacy laws and market power abuse by the Silicon Valley giant.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
  • Hundreds of pages of filings in a civil lawsuit and countersuit detail allegations of fraud and elder abuse, years of adultery, and a battle for property, luxury sports cars and cash.
    — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • Renewed hostilities in the Persian Gulf also complicate the resumption of refining in the Middle East.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • However, Democratic lawmakers have denounced the resumption of the Iran war and the return to active hostilities, despite the interim cease-fire agreement signed June 17.
    — Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 July 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • His followers responded with a steady stream of invective, describing Atkin and Jammi in misogynistic and, at times, dehumanizing language.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • The online pile-on, often expressed through personal invective.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
Definition of invective
Noun
  • His second-guessing doesn’t stanch his inner torrent of bile, which continues through dinner with Irène and her mother, and goes on for another fifteen pages of emotional hypotheticals and conditionals.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • Bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma, is a type of cancer that forms in the slender tubes that carry digestive fluid bile, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Definition of bile
Noun
  • But for Wildmon and Buchanan, in-your-face avant-garde art was an insult to the average person, certainly the average American Christian.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • Musk and Altman have repeatedly traded blows in recent years, mocking each other’s businesses and lobbing personal insults.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Symptoms of the allergic reactions at AGS can vary case by case and in severity, but can include hives, angioedema (deep-swelling of the lips, eyes, tongue, and throat), wheezing, gastrointestinal distress and even fatal anaphylaxis.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
  • Two of these are rated critical, while 10 have been given high-severity status.
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
  • The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.
    — Matt Motta, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024
Definition of vituperation

Browse Nearby Words

vitrines
vitriol
vitriolic
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Cite this Entry

“Vitriol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriol. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vitriol

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vitriol

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