Meanings
comparative more acerbic · superlative most acerbic
- Tasting sour or bitter.
Those consumers who object to the acerbic taste of garlic can purchase de-odorized garlic or allicin extract.
1998 August 5, Dr. Peter Gott, “Can inhaler cause addiction?”, in Catoosa County News, retrieved 19 Sep 2009Synonyms: acerb, acrid, acrimonious
- figurativelySharp, harsh, biting.
Supercompetent, superconfident and supercritical, Schmidt is a gifted orator whose acerbic wit earned him the nickname "Schmidt the Lip."
1986 September 22, “West Germany: Last Taunts From the Lip”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Feb 2021, retrieved 25 Apr 20141 more example
[H]e is one of the most acerbic people in his field, quick to take offense and not shy about telling people with whom he disagrees how much he thinks they have failed in thought and action.
2005 May 5, Jay Mathews, “Don't Fire This Professor”, in Washington Post, page T6Synonyms: acrid, acrimonious, scathing
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveTasting sour or bitter.
adjectiveSharp, harsh, biting.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivesour or bitter in taste
adjectiveharsh or corrosive in tone
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱrós
- Proto-Italic*akris
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Proto-Italic*akriðos
- Latinacerbus
- Englishacerbic
Attested since the 17th century, from Latin acerbus (“sour, bitter”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian стипчив, тръпчив
- стипчив (stipčiv)sour or bitter
- тръпчив (trăpčiv)sour or bitter
- саркастичен (sarkastičen)sharp, biting
Catalan agre, aspre
- agresour or bitter
- aspresour or bitter
- acerbsour or bitter
- agresharp, biting
- aspresharp, biting
- cruelsharp, biting
- acerbsharp, biting
Danish sur, bitter
- sursour or bitter
- bittersour or bitter
- syrligsharp, biting
- mopsetsharp, biting
Esperanto acerba, acerba
- acerbasour or bitter
- acerbasharp, biting
Finnish kitkerä, kärkevä
- kitkeräsour or bitter
- kärkeväsharp, biting
- purevasharp, biting
- kyyninensharp, biting
- sarkastinensharp, biting
German sauer, bitter
- sauersour or bitter
- bittersour or bitter
- ätzendsharp, biting
- beißendsharp, biting
- bissigsharp, biting
- scharfsharp, biting
- scharfzüngigsharp, biting
- rausharp, biting
Polish cierpki, kwaśny
- cierpkisour or bitter
- kwaśnysour or bitter
- gorzkisour or bitter
- cierpkisharp, biting
- uszczypliwysharp, biting
- zgryźliwysharp, biting
Portuguese acerbo, acerbo
- acerbosour or bitter
- acerbosharp, biting
Russian терпкий, саркастический
- терпкий (terpkij)sour or bitter
- саркастический (sarkastičeskij)sharp, biting
- язви́тельный (jazvítelʹnyj)sharp, biting
Spanish acerbo, acerbo
- acerbosour or bitter
- acerbosharp, biting
Swedish syrlig
- syrligsharp, biting
Vietnamese chát
- chátsour or bitter
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with acerbic
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
acerbic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbic
“acerbic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acerbic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acerbic.
Source: acerbic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.