- Of, similar to, or derived from a vitriol.
- Bitterly scathing; caustic: vitriolic criticism.
Dictionary:
vit·ri·ol·ic (vĭt'rē-ŏl'ĭk) ![]() |
| Wordsmith Words: vitriolic |
(vi-tree-OL-ik)
adjective
Extremely caustic; bitterly scathing.
Etymology
From Latin vitrum (glass)
Sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive substance, was formerly known as oil of vitriol or simply vitriol. It was named vitriol owing to the glassy appearance of its salts.
| Word Overheard: vitriolic |
Sticks and stones may break one's bones but vitriol (aka sulfuric acid) is even more painful. Mel Gibson acknowledged the potential harm of recent anti-Semitic statements he made, calling them "vitriolic," and issued a second public apology:
"Mel Gibson said Tuesday he is not a bigot and he apologized to 'everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words' he used when he was arrested for investigation of drunken driving."
Link: Guardian Unlimited Film | News | Gibson Apologizes for 'Vitriolic' Words
Posted August 2, 2006.
See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.
| Thesaurus: vitriolic |
adjective
| Antonyms: vitriolic |
Definition: acrimonious
Antonyms: kind, pleasant
| Word Tutor: vitriolic |
I found the letter to be merely vitriolic and not at all helpful in gaining information about the issue.
| Translations: Vitriolic |
Dansk (Danish)
adj. - vitriol-, ætsende, bidende, meget skarp
Français (French)
adj. - (Chim) de vitriol, (fig) au vitriol
Deutsch (German)
adj. - giftig, beißend
Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - βιτριολικός, (μτφ.) καυστικός, φαρμακερός
Italiano (Italian)
virulento, vitriolico
Português (Portuguese)
adj. - vitriólico, acrimonioso (fig.)
Русский (Russian)
купоросный, ядовитый
Español (Spanish)
adj. - vitriólico, virulento, mordaz
Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - vitriolhaltig
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
硫酸的, 刻薄的, 象硫酸的
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 硫酸的, 刻薄的, 象硫酸的
한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 황산[염]의, 황산[염] 같은, 신랄한
日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 硫酸の, 硫酸からできる, 辛らつな, 辛辣な
العربيه (Arabic)
(صفه) لاذع, زاجي
עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - מר, עוקצני, סרקאסטי
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| vitriolous | |
| menckenian | |
| Lyman Beecher (literature) |
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
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