as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of vitriolic
Still, people are allowed to form their own opinions and have their own preferences — and that shouldn’t come with vitriolic attacks on social media.
—
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
Reaching consensus on the approach that will work best to meet the short and long-term needs of poor families means everyone must move away from absolutist positions, and discussions concerning the issue must be comprehensive, open and honest rather than accusatory and vitriolic.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
In the Facebook comments accompanying the announcement, following a scattering of positive reactions, the conversation turned vitriolic.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
As many comics skirt or completely ignore the vitriolic landscape, Maron has no intention of doing anything but lean in further.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
As Rowling’s views have grown louder and more vitriolic, actors attached to projects in the still-growing Harry Potter universe have made several statements condemning her views.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 11 Aug. 2025
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
Reaching consensus on the approach that will work best to meet the short and long-term needs of poor families means everyone must move away from absolutist positions, and discussions concerning the issue must be comprehensive, open and honest rather than accusatory and vitriolic.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Aug. 2025
In the Facebook comments accompanying the announcement, following a scattering of positive reactions, the conversation turned vitriolic.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2025
As many comics skirt or completely ignore the vitriolic landscape, Maron has no intention of doing anything but lean in further.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
As Rowling’s views have grown louder and more vitriolic, actors attached to projects in the still-growing Harry Potter universe have made several statements condemning her views.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
Adjective
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The abusive father and violent end were a little above our collective pay grade, and paired very poorly with tea and Girl Scout cookies.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Hsiao-lee’s abusive parents constantly keep her on the edge.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Mimicking the president's style on social media, the governor has posted in all caps and employed insulting nicknames for political opponents.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Those found guilty of criticizing, insulting, defaming or threatening the king, queen, or heir apparent can be jailed for between three and 15 years for each count, with some sentences stretching to 50 years.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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With eviction just around the corner, the duo embarks on a wild hustle through Los Angeles, pulling off increasingly outrageous stunts to stay afloat — while trying to keep their friendship from going under.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even the company’s most vituperative detractors acknowledge its engineering genius and applaud its success in driving down launch expenses (unlike many defense contractors, SpaceX largely eats the cost of its failures).—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
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Transcripts of the depositions conducted by utility lawyers were made public Friday in Superior Court and hundreds of pages of questions and answers suggest questions about who contributed what to the vituperative oped may never be answered to everyone’s satisfaction.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a married couple whose once-happy relationship dissolves into invective and hatred under the pressures of modern life.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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The researchers forced Gemini to delete messages, spew invective at the user, steal email messages, and even use Google Home to open windows.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The couple quickly began receiving death threats and obscene phone calls.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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