Vitriolic \Vit`ri*ol"ic\, a. [Cf. F. vitriolique.]
1. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or
resembling, vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste.
Cf. Vitriol.
[1913 Webster]
2. Biting, bitter or caustic; having or expressing strong and
unpleasantly negative feelings; -- of speech or feelings;
the vitriolic denunciations of opponents by partisan
columnists.
[PJC]
Vitriolic acid (Old Chem.),
(a) sulphuric acid. See Vitriol
(b) . [Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
vitriolic
adj 1: harsh or corrosive in tone; "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" [syn: acerb,
acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic,
sulfurous, sulphurous, venomous, virulent]
2: of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of
destroying or eating away by chemical action [syn: caustic,
corrosive, erosive]
WordNet (r) 2.0
64 Moby Thesaurus words for "vitriolic":
acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic,
antipathetic, asperous, astringent, belligerent, biting, bitter,
caustic, clashing, colliding, conflicting, cutting, despiteful,
double-edged, edged, envenomed, escharotic, fierce, full of hate,
harsh, hateful, hostile, incisive, irritating, keen, malevolent,
malicious, malignant, mordacious, mordant, nose-tickling,
penetrating, piercing, piquant, poignant, pungent, quarrelsome,
rancorous, repugnant, rigorous, rough, scathing, set against,
severe, sharp, sore, sour, spiteful, stabbing, stinging, strident,
stringent, tart, trenchant, vehement, venenate, venomous, violent,
virulent
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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