[syn: caustic, corrosive, erosive, vitriolic, mordant]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Vitriolic \Vit`ri*ol"ic\, a. [Cf. F. vitriolique.]
   1. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or
      resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste.
      Cf. Vitriol.
      [1913 Webster]
   2. Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and
      unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings;
      the vitriolic denunciations of opponents by partisan
      columnists.
      [PJC]
   Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.),
      (a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol
      (b) . [Colloq.]
          [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
vitriolic
    adj 1: 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]
    2: of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of
       destroying or eating away by chemical action [syn: caustic,
       corrosive, erosive, vitriolic, mordant]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
64 Moby Thesaurus words for "vitriolic":
   acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic,
   antipathetic, asperous, astringent, belligerent, biting, bitter,
   caustic, clashing, colliding, conflicting, cutting, despiteful,
   double-edged, edged, envenomed, escharotic, fierce, full of hate,
   harsh, hateful, hostile, incisive, irritating, keen, malevolent,
   malicious, malignant, mordacious, mordant, nose-tickling,
   penetrating, piercing, piquant, poignant, pungent, quarrelsome,
   rancorous, repugnant, rigorous, rough, scathing, set against,
   severe, sharp, sore, sour, spiteful, stabbing, stinging, strident,
   stringent, tart, trenchant, vehement, venenate, venomous, violent,
   virulent