“an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose”
adjective
of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
Word Forms
acerbity
noun
a rough and bitter manner
acridness
noun
the quality of being sharply disagreeable in language or tone
acridity
noun
the quality of being sharply disagreeable in language or tone
bitterness
noun
a rough and bitter manner
virulency
noun
extreme hostility
virulence
noun
extreme hostility
vitriol
noun
abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
caustic
noun
any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue
corrosive
noun
a substance having the tendency to cause corrosion (such a strong acids or alkali)
corrode
verb
cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid
erode
verb
become ground down or deteriorate
mordant
noun
a substance used to treat leather or other materials before dyeing; aids in dyeing process
Around the World
Europe
🇩🇪German
vitriolisch
Der Ton ist hart oder ätzend
🇫🇷French
vitriolique
ton dur ou corrosif
🇪🇸Spanish
vitriólico
tono áspero o corrosivo
🇮🇹Italian
vetriolo
tono aspro o corrosivo
🇳🇱Dutch
venijnig
hard of bijtend van toon
🇵🇹Portuguese
vitriólico
tom áspero ou corrosivo
🇷🇺Russian
язвительный
резкий или едкий тон
India
🇮🇳Hindi
कटु
स्वर में कठोर या संक्षारक
🇧🇩Bengali
ভিট্রিওলিক
স্বরে কঠোর বা ক্ষয়কারী
🇮🇳Tamil
வைடூரியம்
கடுமையான அல்லது அரிக்கும் தொனியில்
🇮🇳Telugu
విట్రియోలిక్
కఠినమైన లేదా తినివేయు స్వరంలో
🇮🇳Marathi
विट्रियोलिक
स्वरात कठोर किंवा गंजणारा
🇮🇳Gujarati
વિટ્રિઓલિક
સ્વરમાં કઠોર અથવા કાટ લાગતો
🇮🇳Kannada
ವಿಟ್ರಿಯಾಲಿಕ್
ಸ್ವರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಠಿಣ ಅಥವಾ ನಾಶಕಾರಿ
🇮🇳Malayalam
വൈട്രിയോളിക്
പരുക്കൻ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നാശകരമായ സ്വരത്തിൽ
🇵🇰Urdu
وٹریولک
لہجے میں سخت یا سنکنار
East & Southeast Asia
🇨🇳Chinese
硫酸盐的
语气刺耳或腐蚀
🇯🇵Japanese
辛辣な
荒々しい、または腐食的な口調
🇰🇷Korean
신랄한
거칠거나 부식성이 있는 음색
🇹🇭Thai
กรดกำมะถัน
โทนเสียงที่รุนแรงหรือมีฤทธิ์กัดกร่อน
🇮🇩Indonesian
pedas
nadanya kasar atau korosif
🇲🇾Malay
vitriolik
nada keras atau menghakis
Middle East
🇸🇦Arabic
لاذع
قاسية أو تآكل في لهجة
🇮🇷Persian
نیشدار
لحن خشن یا خورنده
🇹🇷Turkish
iğneleyici
tonda sert veya aşındırıcı
🇮🇱Hebrew
צוֹרֵב
גוון חריף או מאכל
Test Yourself1 / 3
What is the primary definition of the word 'vitriolic'?
The primary meaning of 'vitriolic' is 'harsh or corrosive in tone'.
Which of the following sentences uses the word 'vitriolic' in a grammatically correct way?
Using 'vitriolic' in a noun/adjective form makes the first sentence correct.
In which domain is the word 'vitriolic' most likely to appear as standard vocabulary?
'vitriolic' is a standard word used primarily in general literature and formal communications.
Community Poll1 / 6
How often do you encounter the word 'vitriolic' in your daily reading?
Very Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
Do you find 'vitriolic' easy to spell?
Yes, very easy
Somewhat easy
A bit confusing
Extremely hard
In your opinion, does the word 'vitriolic' have a positive, neutral, or gloomy tone?
Positive
Neutral
Gloomy
Vibrant
Which age group is most likely to use 'vitriolic' in regular conversations?
Kids (3-12)
Teens (13-19)
Adults (20-60)
Seniors (60+)
How likely are you to use 'vitriolic' in a professional email?
Very likely
Somewhat likely
Not very likely
Never
Would you classify 'vitriolic' as formal, casual, or slang?
Formal
Casual
Slang
Archaic
Pick an option to see how others voted
This word is also in the Advanced book — want the full, immersive treatment (age meanings, culture, creative use, deeper Hindi & exercises)?
Open the Advanced entry →
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