acerbic — OET

acerbic

adjective

1 he was renowned for his abrasive manner and acerbic tongue:

sharp, sarcastic, sardonic, satirical, scathing, cutting, razor-edged, incisive, penetrating, piercing, biting, stinging, searing, keen, caustic, trenchant, bitter, acrimonious, astringent, harsh, severe, devastating, abrasive, wounding, hurtful, unkind, cruel, vitriolic, virulent, mordant, venomous, waspish, poisonous, spiteful, vicious, malicious;

North American acerb;

informal bitchy, catty;

British, informal sarky;

North American, informal snarky;

rare mordacious, acidulous.

▷antonyms mild, kind.

2 a yellowy acerbic fluid came out of the tap:

sour, acid, acidic, acidulated, tart, bitter, unsweetened, sharp, acetic, acetous, vinegary, pungent, acrid;

unpleasant, distasteful;

North American acerb;

rare acidulous.

▷antonyms sweet.

acerbic Oxford Dictionary of English