[syn: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Acerbic \A*cerb"ic\, a.
Sour or severe.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
acerbic
adj 1: sour or bitter in taste [syn: acerb, acerbic,
astringent]
2: harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing
otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her
acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words";
"blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political
assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a
sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique" [syn:
acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering,
caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent,
vitriolic]