Acerbic vs Vitriolic - What's the difference?
acerbic | vitriolic |
Tasting sour or bitter.
* 1998 Aug. 5, Dr. Peter Gott, "
Sharp, harsh, biting.
* 1986 Sept. 22, "
* 2005 May 5, Jay Mathews, "Don't Fire This Professor," Washington Post , p. T6:
of, derived from, or similar to a vitriol
bitterly scathing; caustic: vitriolic criticism
(chemistry): Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste.
As adjectives the difference between acerbic and vitriolic
is that acerbic is tasting sour or bitter while vitriolic is of, derived from, or similar to a vitriol.acerbic
English
Adjective
(en adjective)Can inhaler cause addiction?," Catoosa County News (retrieved 19 Sep 2009):
- Those consumers who object to the acerbic taste of garlic can purchase de-odorized garlic or allicin extract.
West Germany: Last Taunts From the Lip," Time (retrieved 25 Apr 2014):
- Supercompetent, superconfident and supercritical, Schmidt is a gifted orator whose acerbic wit earned him the nickname "Schmidt the Lip."
- [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.