as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father
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Recent Examples of vitriolic
Whether ecstatic or vitriolic, the attention the book garnered was unprecedented.
—
Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
One of the most viral and vitriolic critiques came from Crissle West, co-host of the popular pop-culture podcast The Read.
—Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
But the vitriolic attacks and reemerging calls to boycott the Super Bowl come as no surprise.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 30 Sep. 2025
As most artists have to deal with vitriolic comments from online haters to some degree, HARDY seems to have found his best way of dealing with it.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
So, behind the bitter op-eds and vitriolic letters, what was the problem?
—Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would escalate in the aftermath of the 31-year-old’s death.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 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
Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
One of the most viral and vitriolic critiques came from Crissle West, co-host of the popular pop-culture podcast The Read.
—Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
But the vitriolic attacks and reemerging calls to boycott the Super Bowl come as no surprise.
—Raquel Reichard, Refinery29, 30 Sep. 2025
As most artists have to deal with vitriolic comments from online haters to some degree, HARDY seems to have found his best way of dealing with it.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
So, behind the bitter op-eds and vitriolic letters, what was the problem?
—Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would escalate in the aftermath of the 31-year-old’s death.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
Adjective
-
The biopic also stars Ben Foster as the trainer who becomes her abusive husband.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
-
At one point during the hearing, Richards pleaded for a tissue and began crying while recalling a particularly abusive event in May.—
Tracy Wright , Christina Dugan Ramirez , Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Altman seems to find the question insulting.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
-
To educate all of them in similar ways is insulting, and silly.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.—
Bear McCreary,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In the years intervening, the poem has remained a lodestar, a contravening presence when, in present day America’s vituperative political landscape, the humanities disciplines and higher education itself has been forced to invoke and defend its own authority.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Another cupped his hands and shouted invective.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Rory McIlroy was the lightning rod for the invective, and so was his wife.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Banners containing commercial, political or obscene material, or that block guest views.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Just another week in the world of Ball, who was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture in the fourth quarter of the Hornets’ 144-117 loss to Miami.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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