acerb

adjective

ə-ˈsərb How to pronounce acerb (audio)
Definition of acerbnext
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings a professor with a rather acerb sense of humor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerb
  1. sarcastic
  2. satiric
  3. acid
  4. acidic
  5. barbed
  6. acerbic
Adjective
  • As the group grows, so do the number of sarcastic or unserious posts and comments within it.
    Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
  • His gibes at China on X were often aggressive and sarcastic.
    Motoko Rich, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • The show isn't satiric so much as amused by the absurd lengths to which the Kaylas of our society will go in pursuit of self-definition.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Mann at his most satiric has Settembrini contributing an essay to a multivolume project whose purpose is to end suffering.
    George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • Since azaleas are acid soil-loving plants, pine needles, aged pine bark, or leaf mold are ideal mulches.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Last year, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined Intel for failing to control air emissions of acid gases at its Hillsboro chip production facility.
    Arlene Blum, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • Soil Composition The Christmas cactus prefers a well-draining soil that is neutral or acidic.
    Heather Bien, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Plus, the enamel can handle acidic pan sauces that would jeopardize the seasoning of a regular cast iron.
    Emily Farris, Bon Appétit, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • The tortoises live in a sheltered habitat ringed by barbed wire and draped in netting.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
  • Middle Tennessee actor talks near-death experience Flying into a barbed wire fence at 11.
    Rosalind Bowling, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of barbed
Adjective
  • Unsurprisingly, Stan and Pearson have noticed that viewers sometimes don’t know what to make of Schimberg’s acerbic sense of humor.
    Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Moore was, understandably, a bit floored initially that the acerbic actor of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Blade Runner fame had any interest in Marvel, let alone taking over a role from a late Oscar winner.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of acerbic
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near acerb

acequias

acerb

acerbic

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on acerb

Nglish: Translation of acerb for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...