vitriolic

adjective

Definition of vitriolicnext
as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language braced himself for another vitriolic dressing-down by his perennially displeased father

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
  1. abusive
  2. insulting
  3. outrageous
  4. vituperative
  5. invective
  6. obscene
Adjective
  • Craig, on the other hand, is a skittish cat who was rescued from an abusive situation before being adopted.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • These studies focus on long-term patterns of yelling and other abusive behaviors. 6 .
    — Daryl Austin, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Russian politicians and state media were thrilled to hear the U.S. president backing their insulting and obvious lies.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025
  • La Liga players are often shown red cards for taking protests past the level which referees deem acceptable, sometimes for words which are less insulting or disrespectful than what was said by Bellingham.
    — Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Since the mid-Nineties, he’s repeatedly reinvented R&B, hip-hop, and pop, lacing classics by the likes of Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z with skittering beats, future-shock synths, and his outrageous ear for samples and hooks.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Where the previous side story, The Man Who Erased His Name, forced protagonist Kiryu to wrestle with his lonely existence, this romp casts anti-hero Goro Majima as an outrageous modern-day pirate.
    — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.
    — Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of vituperative
Adjective
  • In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Vanya absconds from the house, leaving Ani, who surprises Toros with her strength and invective.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of invective
Adjective
  • Taken by the apparent deterioration of his health, users made those clips go viral and eventually adapted the money spread into a mini-dance trend where users bop to the song before flaunting an obscene amount of cash (or weed baggies or fishing lures!).
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2025
  • But there are more visible and indecent »Paris Game« leftovers: the enormous/obscene sportsbook ads on display at every other métro station.
    — Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of obscene
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.

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“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of vitriolic for Spanish Speakers

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