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 meeting was already scheduled to discuss pertinent issues facing the league — among them, the online hate and vitriol directed toward players and other WNBA personnel. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 Any member can spew antisemitic vitriol and call for the destruction of the Jewish State. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 TikTok users flooded the video’s comments with both support and vitriol. — Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 5 Aug. 2026 Athletes traditionally encounter vitriol on social media, but a limited number of fans took it much too far with Herro. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 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
  • This copper beauty serves up bold floral and citrus aromas, plus the signature IPA bitterness.
    — Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Little united the Syrian rebels during the country’s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country’s disparate groups together.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • Shortly after, Panettiere struggles with postpartum depression, and her substance abuse issues resurface.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Video recordings and documents detail how investigators pursued the case, and the possibility of abuse, for months but failed to identify a perpetrator.
    — Amy Brittain, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • Funding for refugee support is drying up, hostility toward Ukrainians is growing, and Poland still lacks a long-term integration strategy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Iran accepted meaningful limits on its nuclear program in 2015, for instance, and reversed decades of hostility toward Saudi Arabia by normalizing ties in 2023.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • Each was cast as the antagonist in the game that saw England’s exit a World Cup or European Championship, prompting invective from rival supporters and a siege mentality in Manchester.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • These invectives evidently haven’t spooked Son, who once predicted that AI superintelligence would exist by 2035.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026
Definition of invective
Noun
  • The liver just might be one of your hardest-working organs, producing proteins and filtering the blood, metabolizing nutrients and creating necessary bile for digestion.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease begins in the slender tubes that carry digestive bile and is associated with symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, fever and night sweats.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of bile
Noun
  • To call them journalists would be an insult to the profession.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The exchange began when Pham criticized Myers over a play, leading to a heated back-and-forth online, with Pham eventually resorting to personal insults.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Following a major hailstorm, for example, connected property intelligence can help carriers quickly assess affected neighborhoods, triage claims based on severity and deploy field resources where they're needed most.
    — David Tobias, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The 24-year-old Italian pulled out of this week’s Cincinnati Open with the same issue, and has been undergoing medical tests in Milan and Turin throughout August to assess its severity.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of severity
Noun
  • As these things go, the tweet exposes Hotez to public vituperation on social media and possibly physical harm.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
  • On March 12, Nickels tweeted a notice of a scientific conference in Washington at which Peter Daszak, the head of a research funding organization who has long been the target of vituperation by lab-leak advocates, would appear on a panel.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Definition of vituperation

Browse Nearby Words

vitrines
vitriol
vitriolic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vitriol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriol. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vitriol

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vitriol

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