acerb Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite sour or bitter in taste
    astringent; acerbic.
  2. adjective satellite harsh or corrosive in tone
    blistering; acerbic; acrid; vitriolic; virulent; sulphurous; sulfurous; caustic; acid; bitter.
    • 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

WordNet


A*cerb" adjective
Etymology
L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See Acrid.
Definitions
  1. Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.

Webster 1913