acerbic — harsh or severe in manner, speech, or temper; expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: harsh or severe in manner, speech, or temper; expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈsɜːrbɪk/
Example Sentences
- The food critic's acerbic review closed the restaurant within a month.
- My grandmother's acerbic remarks about my cooking made me order pizza instead.
- His acerbic sense of humor either makes people laugh or run away.
acerbic
ADJECTIVE[/əˈsɜːrbɪk/]
harsh or severe in manner, speech, or temper; expressing harsh or sharp criticism in a clever way
Sharp, cutting criticism delivered cleverly
Waiter A-serve says 'Ick!' with harsh, bitter criticism to shocked customers
His acerbic reviews fill the morbid study
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'acerbus' meaning sour or harsh in taste, combined with the suffix '-ic' meaning having the quality of. The Latin root likely derives from 'acer' meaning sharp or keen.
Breakdown
acer- (sharp, sour) + -b- (connective) + -us (Latin adjective ending) + -ic (quality of) = acerbic
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The food critic's acerbic review closed the restaurant within a month.”
“My grandmother's acerbic remarks about my cooking made me order pizza instead.”
“His acerbic sense of humor either makes people laugh or run away.”
“The professor's acerbic feedback helped students improve their writing skills.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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