vitriolic

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vitriolic

/vɪtɹɪˈɒlɪk/ UK
/ˌvɪt.riˈɑ.lɪk/ US

Where it comes from

From vitriol + -ic; or from French vitriolique (cognate with Italian vetriolico, Portuguese vitriolico, Spanish vitriólico).

adjective more vitriolic · most vitriolic

dated Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from or resembling vitriol. a vitriolic taste
Similar: caustic, vitriolate, vitriolous
figuratively Bitterly scathing, caustic. vitriolic criticism
Similar: acerbic, vituperative · Opposite: gentle, benign
For more quotations, see Citations:vitriolic.

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MLA

"vitriolic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/vitriolic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

vitriolic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/vitriolic

Chicago

"vitriolic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/vitriolic.

BibTeX

@misc{vitriolic_2026,
  title = {vitriolic},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/vitriolic},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}