tartly

comparative more tartly · superlative most tartly

1. In a tart manner; sourly or bitterly.

   'And have you nothing for me, duckie?' 'O, you! The back of my hand to you!' said Mrs Kernan tartly.

   1905 (date written), James Joyce, “Grace”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC, page 199

   1 more example

   The next day, the deputy chancellor, Robert Habeck, a Green, said tartly, “I’m pleased that France is thinking about how to increase its support for Ukraine, but if I could give it a word of advice — supply more weapons.”

   2024 March 9, Steven Erlanger, Roger Cohen, Erika Solomon, “Macron and Scholz, Never Close, Spar Over Policy Toward Ukraine and Russia”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: acerbically, acidly