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Acerbic

Sharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.

adjective

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Imagine This

There is a very bitter and sour battle going on between BIC and other manufacturers to grab the #1 spot in the stationery business.

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Sounds Like

uh-SUR-bik

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Looks Like

Ace_bic -> #1_BIC (pen and pencil manufacturer)

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Remember This

Root acer- means sharp or bitter; related forms include acerbity; acerbic shares its root with words describing bitterness.

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Other Forms

acerbitynoun

acerbadjective

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Connect With

caustic, biting, mordant, acrimonious, sharp

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Note

Acerbic describes a biting, caustic tone rather than a physical taste. Often used for wit or criticism; not a synonym for mild or gentle.

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Study Deeper

Examples

Her acerbic wit could cut through nonsense and expose the flaws in the argument.
The critic's acerbic review left the director surprised by the bluntness of the remarks.

Synonyms

bitingcausticmordantsharpharsh

Antonyms

mildgentlewarm

Etymology

From Latin acerbus 'bitter, sour', from acer 'sharp'; through Old French acerb and Middle English acerb, giving rise to acerbic.

Mnemonic

Acerbic = acerb (bitter) + ic. Remember that the root acer- means sharp or sour; add ic to form the adjective meaning 'sharp or biting in tone'.

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Lobbyist

noun

A person who tries to influence government decisions or policy, typically by meeting with lawmakers or officials to advocate on behalf of a client or cause.