vitriol

noun

ˈvi-trē-əl How to pronounce vitriol (audio)
Definition of vitriolnext
1
as in bitterness
biting sharpness of feeling or expression a film critic noted for the vitriol and sometimes outright cruelty of his pronouncements

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abuse
harsh insulting language the review was more than just unfavorable—it was loaded with vitriol

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vitriol Andress didn’t immediately realize how badly the performance went, but the online vitriol that followed quickly opened her eyes to how serious the issue was. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025 The vitriol and hate from all corners is further dividing our country and communities. — Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025 Trump’s vitriol against Zelensky came after the Ukrainian president dismissed an initial proposal from the U.S. calling for 50 percent ownership of Ukraine’s rare Earth minerals. — Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025 Skyy Clark’s three-pointer was well off the mark with about eight minutes left in the game, giving fans another chance to unleash more vitriol. — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vitriol
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriol
  1. abuse
  2. hostility
  3. invective
  4. bile
  5. insult
  6. severity
  7. vituperation
  8. anger
Noun
  • Remarkably, waste, fraud, and abuse for these folks are not part of the discussion.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The footage also shows the now obligatory abuse, as the wheeled warrior continuously rights itself as it gets pushed around.
    — Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of abuse
Noun
  • Intentionally directing attacks against civilian infrastructure and civilians who are not directly taking part in hostilities is considered a war crime under international law.
    — Clarissa Ward, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Even small shifts can build rapport and defuse hostility.
    — Diana Lowe, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • Such invective, coming from a saboteur with firsthand experience of institutional prudishness, put DeGenevieve in a paradoxical position: that of a professor who, because she was tenured, had the luxury of deriding her own ivory tower.
    — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Yet some of us in the audience, disgusted by the persistence of Nazism and anti-immigrant invective in the present, may well appreciate the force of McQueen’s rhetoric.
    — Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Definition of invective
Noun
  • In a handful of these cases, researchers reported that genetically edited pig hearts could beat, livers made bile, and kidneys were able to function, making urine, without immediate rejection.
    — Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Bile duct diseases: Diseases that affect the tubes that carry bile away from the liver, or bile ducts, include primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and biliary atresia.
    — Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of bile
Noun
  • Tariffs on Canadian exports and repeated insults by President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state have Canadians pushing back with a term hockey fans may be familiar with.
    — Jalen Williams, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The dispute stems from last year’s feud wherein Drake and Lamar traded increasingly personal and unverified insults in a series of songs.
    — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of insult
Noun
  • The bottom line: The severity of consequences of failing the airport theory challenge depend on the airline and your itinerary.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Due to the severity of her injuries, Agnes will not return to the wild but has become the organization's ambassador, according to shelter operators.
    — David Begnaud, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of severity
Noun
  • The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.
    — Matt Motta, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Definition of vituperation
Noun
  • The Cost of Negative Emotions in Financial Decision-Making On the flip side, negative emotions, such as anxiety, anger, and sadness, were shown in our study to be associated with a shorter financial time horizon.
    — Shane Enete, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Yet while their new ground has undoubtedly boosted their revenues and broadened their appeal to a wider demographic of fans, there has been anger from matchgoing supporters over rising ticket prices, with several protests staged last season.
    — Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of anger

Browse Nearby Words

vitrines
vitriol
vitriolic
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Cite this Entry

“Vitriol.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriol. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vitriol

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