acerbic

[ uh-sur-bik ]
See synonyms for: acerbicacerbically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. sour or astringent in taste: Lemon juice is acerbic.

  2. harsh or severe, as of temper or expression: acerbic criticism.

Origin of acerbic

1
1860–65; <Latin acerb(us) sour, unripe, bitterly harsh + -ic, irregular for -ous

Other words from acerbic

  • a·cer·bi·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·a·cer·bic, adjective
  • un·a·cer·bi·cal·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with acerbic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use acerbic in a sentence

  • Mother acerbically declined to learn the art of physical culture.

    The Innocents | Sinclair Lewis

British Dictionary definitions for acerbic

acerbic

/ (əˈsɜːbɪk) /


adjective
  1. harsh, bitter, or astringent; sour

Origin of acerbic

1
C17: from Latin acerbus sour, bitter

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012