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 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 The rhetoric was vitriolic and often more about the man than the ideas or principles behind a particular political issue. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
  1. abusive
  2. insulting
  3. outrageous
  4. vituperative
  5. obscene
Adjective
  • At the Texas and Connecticut trials, victims’ relatives testified that Jones’ followers — believing his claims that the shooting didn’t happen — subjected them to death and rape threats, in-person harassment and abusive comments on social media.
    — Jim Vertuno, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In 2026, a seemingly never-ending wave of layoffs and studio closures has made jobs so scarce that workers may feel more pressure to tolerate abusive conditions.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Worth watching this outrageous throw from Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Their outrageous friend Mel (Fisher) crashes the weekend, and gets the foursome in trouble with the spa’s owner, Shanti (Erika Heynatz).
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 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 Tarrant County decorum policy prohibits personal attacks, impertinent, profane, obscene, or slanderous remarks as well as threatening, disruptive or unruly behavior.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Starks said the obscene gesture was meant as a joke to teammates.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscene

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Cite this Entry

“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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