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

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 vitriolic While sometimes vitriolic discussions about the gargantuan structures have accompanied increasingly unavoidable AI conversations, data centers themselves have been around since the 1940s. — Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The comments under Miller’s social media posts grew startlingly vitriolic. — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Steve, some of the most vitriolic and toxic letters have come from you. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026 With Hayward’s growing concern about the vitriolic condition of American politics, the phrase felt resonant. — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Trump administration officials have repeatedly engaged in vitriolic attacks against the company, and its CEO Dario Amodei. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 June 2026 At times, that grief turned to vitriolic anger. — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 In today’s world, this is not only rare but also contrary to a pervasive culture of self-promotion and vitriolic hate against everyone who doesn’t bow. — Luis E. Romero, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish. — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitriolic
  1. abusive
  2. insulting
  3. outrageous
  4. vituperative
  5. obscene
Adjective
  • Of course, parents should intervene when a coach is abusive or a child is genuinely being mistreated.
    — Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The policy prohibited speakers from directing remarks to individual council members and restricted comments considered personal or abusive.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Chargers-Chiefs game prediction If not for the Chargers’ outrageous injury list, this would make for the perfect situation to pick a surprise Los Angeles win, or at the very least a cover.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Nené — outrageous and drag-inflected — opens Sebastián up to the power of queerness, and Cruz played a similar role for Guitarricadelafuente.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
  • The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Definition of vituperative
Adjective
  • Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene

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vitriol
vitriolic
vitriols
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Cite this Entry

“Vitriolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitriolic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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