acrimony

noun

ac·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈa-krə-ˌmō-nē 

plural acrimonies

: anger and bitterness : harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or feelings

The dispute continued with increased acrimony.

Synonyms

• acidity
• acidness
• acridity
• acridness
• asperity
• bile
• bitterness
• cattiness
• corrosiveness
• mordancy
• tartness
• virulence
• virulency
• vitriol

Examples of acrimony in a Sentence

The dispute began again with increased acrimony.

she responded with such acrimony that he never brought the subject up again

Recent Examples on the Web

If Trump manages to meet the sobering moment with humility and to offer calls for unity amid acrimony, expect the hand-wringing over Biden to get more noticeable in a hurry. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 16 July 2024

Ultimately, neither the American nor the Indian approach provides a stable basis for long-term cooperation; both will instead produce only acrimony and frustration. —Robert D. Blackwill, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019

While tension between prosecutors and agents during an investigation are routine, this case had taken on an intense level of acrimony due to the potential defendant: former President Donald Trump. —Kaylah Jackson, NBC News, 3 Sep. 2024

Given the level of acrimony between Israel and the UN, the Israeli government is unlikely to accept a mission that is run fully by the UN. —Jonathan Lincoln, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French acrimonie, borrowed from Latin ācrimōnia, from ācr-, ācer "sharp, biting, keen" + -mōnia, suffix of abstract nouns (going back to the Indo-European noun-forming suffix *-mĕ̄n-/*-mŏ̄n- + the abstract noun formative *-i-) — more at acr-

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

acrimony

noun

ac·​ri·​mo·​ny ˈak-rə-ˌmō-nē 

plural acrimonies

: harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or disposition

acrimonious

ˌak-rə-ˈmō-nē-əs

adjective

acrimoniously adverb

acrimoniousness noun