ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsAacerbic
ISEE/SSAThard
acerbic
Meaning: sharp, biting, or harsh in tone
acerbic in a sentence
How acerbic is used in real sentences:
Her acerbic reply made the room fall silent.
His acerbic humor amused some listeners and wounded others.
“An acerbic exchange followed, with two investigators cutting into each other's assumptions before the director redirected them to evidence.”
— from the passage Signals After Midnight
Synonyms for acerbic
Other words for acerbic — biting, caustic and sarcastic — carry the same meaning.
- biting
- caustic
- sarcastic
Antonyms of acerbic
Words that mean the opposite of acerbic:
- gentle
- mild
- kind
Where it comes from
From Latin acerbus, meaning 'sour, bitter, or harsh.'
Memory hook
ACERBIC has a sour bite, like acid in a sentence.