vitriolic

adjective

Definition of vitriolicnext
as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father

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 vitriolic While sometimes vitriolic discussions about the gargantuan structures have accompanied increasingly unavoidable AI conversations, data centers themselves have been around since the 1940s. — Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The comments under Miller’s social media posts grew startlingly vitriolic. — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Steve, some of the most vitriolic and toxic letters have come from you. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026 With Hayward’s growing concern about the vitriolic condition of American politics, the phrase felt resonant. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Trump administration officials have repeatedly engaged in vitriolic attacks against the company, and its CEO Dario Amodei. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 June 2026 At times, that grief turned to vitriolic anger. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 In today’s world, this is not only rare but also contrary to a pervasive culture of self-promotion and vitriolic hate against everyone who doesn’t bow. — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish. — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
  1. abusive
  2. insulting
  3. outrageous
  4. vituperative
  5. obscene
Adjective
  • Livia’s sister-in-law invokes the poem when Livia learns, to her surprise, that her manipulative, abusive mother had been a frustrated musician.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Rating sites filled up with one-star scores, and the social media accounts of cast members drew abusive comments.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Some job seekers say AI interviews can feel impersonal, stilted, and downright insulting.
    — Sarah Jackson Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Even more insulting was the cold, transactional nature of the intrusion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Jay cites the scene in which Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci) threatens Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) with increasingly outrageous acts of violence, turning the mobster’s menace into dark comedy.
    — John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • SpaceX thinks this recovery strategy will enable fast and efficient reuse, allowing the company to achieve seemingly outrageous launch cadences.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
  • The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Definition of vituperative
Adjective
  • The public must contend head-on with a collapsing currency and runaway inflation, and to ordinary Iranians, describing the present situation as sustainable would sound almost obscene.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Current Florida law says a school district can review and remove a book after a complaint has been made that a book is pornographic, obscene or isn’t age appropriate.
    — Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscene

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vitriolic
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Cite this Entry

“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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