ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Vitriolic', Synonyms of 'Vitriolic' & More on 'Vitriolic'

1. WordNet® 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]

2. 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]

Thesaurus Results for vitriolic:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

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

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