acerbic

adjective

acer·​bic ə-ˈsər-bik How to pronounce acerbic (audio)
a-
: sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone
acerbic commentary
an acerbic reviewer
acerbically adverb

Did you know?

English speakers created acerbic in the 19th century by adding -ic to the adjective acerb. Acerb had been around since the 17th century, but for most of that time it had been used only to describe foods with a sour taste. (Acerb is still around today, but now it's simply a less common synonym of acerbic.) Acerbic and acerb ultimately come from the Latin adjective acerbus, which can mean "harsh" or "unpleasant." Another English word that comes from acerbus is exacerbate, which means "to make more violent or severe."

Examples of acerbic in a Sentence

Whitney has graced magazine covers for her acerbic and blunt evisceration of the banks she has covered. Several weeks ago, she left her well-paid post at Oppenheimer to start her own economic consultancy, where she will charge many of her employer's clients for her own unambiguous analysis. Zachary Karabell, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009
… we probably have no choice but to enjoy Private Lives on its own terms—as a play that exults in its total lack of a public dimension. Coward's acerbic wit, his submerged sensibility, and his clipped semantics actually had a profound influence on the styles of virtually all the English dramatists who followed him … Robert Brustein, New Republic, 10 June 2002
… discovery of self-esteem and New Agey conclusions ("I discovered there was a goddess deep inside me") are something that an acerbic comedian like Cho shouldn't embrace without irony. Publishers Weekly, 7 May 2001
We want to experience how someone as acerbic as Jane Austen, as morally passionate as Dostoyevsky, as psychologically astute as Henry James makes sense of the chaos of this world. Laura Miller, New York Times Book Review, 15 Mar. 1998
the film's most acerbic critics whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
Recent Examples on the Web The humorous Fred Pitts as the acerbic and honest coach delights. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024 Their visage, which is dominated by an acerbic and often crooked grin, thrives on physicality. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024 In place of extensive compositional analyses (during this time, the composer wrote only six new pieces), Maddocks offers a character study punctuated by colorful source material, including acerbic diary entries by Prokofiev, which betray both envy of and affection for his competitor. The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 To the question of whether Schreiber’s inscrutable Father Flynn has made advances on the lone Black student at a Bronx Catholic school, a suspicion that cements into certitude in the mind of Ryan’s acerbic Sister Aloysius, the answer seems too obvious. Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Told with sensitivity and acerbic wit, the film beautifully captures a storied life and how pain manifests in our personal and professional lives. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2023 Beyond her claim to the Hollywood throne, Fisher was known for her acerbic wit and frankness about the rough-and-tumble nature of the industry. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 The record harnesses the bigger budget to sprawl outwards in every direction, mashing James Smith’s acerbic bar-stool raconteurism into grooves that might evoke Fela Kuti or Beastie Boys, with guests including Gorillaz producer Remi Kabaka Jr., and Rose Matafeo. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 Mar. 2024 Lewis belonged to a class of young stand-ups, like Seinfeld and Bill Maher, who were influenced by the acerbic Everyman persona of Robert Klein. Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acerbic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

acerb + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acerbic was in 1865

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Dictionary Entries Near acerbic

Cite this Entry

“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acerbic. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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