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acerbic

[ uh-sur-bik ]

/ əˈsɜr bɪk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR acerbic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

sour or astringent in taste: Lemon juice is acerbic.

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

Origin of acerbic

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

acerbic acid acrid

Words nearby acerbic

acer, aceramic, acerate, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbity, acerola, acerose, acerous, acervate

Example sentences from the Web for acerbic

On his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday, the acerbic host had some harsh words for our butt-crazy culture.

Kim Kardashian Bares Her Shiny, Bounteous Butt, Breaks the Internet |Marlow Stern |November 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
If Brady were as uptight and acerbic as Belichick often seems, the Patriot train would have long ago run off the rails.

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Don’t Control Their Own Legacies |Evin Demirel |January 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But Tom Boswell makes it all look easy, gliding between the seasons with appreciation and acerbic wit.

The Best Columns of the Year |John Avlon |December 31, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
A hazy choral interlude follows, followed by more nasty beats and acerbic lyrics.

Praise ‘Yeezus’: Kanye West’s New Album Is an Eclectic Tour de Force |Marlow Stern |June 15, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

The Bling Ring is visceral, elegantly shot, and acerbic, as it probes the dark side of celebrity obsession.

Sofia Coppola on ‘The Bling Ring,’ Celebrity Culture, Kanye West, More |Marlow Stern |June 13, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for acerbic

acerbic

/ (əˈsɜːbɪk) /

adjective

harsh, bitter, or astringent; sour

Word Origin for acerbic

C17: from Latin acerbus sour, bitter